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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28665930">Solstice: The Shadow of SHIELD</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kassandra_divina_trevelyan/pseuds/kassandra_divina_trevelyan'>kassandra_divina_trevelyan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Solstice Saga [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase One Compliant, Not Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two Compliant, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Spies &amp; Secret Agents, alternative universe, demigod character/oc, eventual steve rogers x oc, friends (and teammates) to lovers, slowburn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:22:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28665930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kassandra_divina_trevelyan/pseuds/kassandra_divina_trevelyan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Helena Nepheros has conquered challenges as Guardian and cemented a place for herself in the ranks of the Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes. Wanting to promote good in the world, Helena joins the ranks of SHIELD as another superpowered asset alongside Steve Rogers. The two of them get paired as the next big Strike Team, but their presence leads to unrest within the agency– revealing factions that would like to see them dead. </p><p>CANON DIVERGENT STORYLINE, Eventual Steve Rogers x OC (Helena Nepheros/Solstice), [Part 2/5 of the Solstice Saga]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Solstice Saga [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1493342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Vanguard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Judgment day was upon her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>White walls slick with the glow of the fluorescent lights flickering overhead and linoleum flooring uncluttered by the presence of people greeted her with an eerie ode to silence—a promise of the challenge awaiting her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sole clicking of boots down the empty corridor of an undisclosed SHIELD headquarters belonged to none other than Helena Nepheros, the newest Avenger, as she flitted nervously through the winding halls. She was looking for someone. Two people, to be precise. Helena swallowed thickly, wide eyes searching the closed doors for any sign of Natasha or Clint. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They promised they would see her before her test, and she would prefer to have a last-minute pep talk, even though these exams should be no big deal. Anxiety was a bitch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena exhaled shakily, glancing around for any sign of life at that point. Even a random SHIELD agent would lighten her hopes and make her feel less on edge than the sterile silence of the empty base. She didn’t know where she was location-wise, having woken up in an abandoned room from her bed and she realized that her final exam would commence that day- night- whatever time it was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Helena went to round the corner, her instincts flashed awake and all the hairs stood on the back of her neck. That became something she noticed since returning to Earth and joining the Avengers as heightened senses that tied into gut feelings and a hunter-like instinct. More often than not, Helena’s personality and tendency to choose mercy relegated her to appearing like the prey to a stronger, more assertive predator. However, that was nowhere close to being true. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was borne to be a warrior, to hunt and not be the hunted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without hesitating or letting her insecurities get the better of her, she whirled around and lunged at a humanoid figure sneaking up behind her in a hood. She immediately twisted their arm and pinned them against the wall, one arm gripping theirs from drawing a weapon and the other pressed into the throat. She felt an Adam’s apple bob underneath her elbow, leading her to believe that she dealt with a male humanoid. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was this the test? Was she passing? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure let out a strangled laugh, seemingly not threatened by Helena’s efficient takedown, and reached to pull the hood down with their free hand. Helena panickily swatted their hand away, and that earned another laugh. They coughed, “Helena, I think you can let go now-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clint? Why did you sneak up on me like that? I could’ve hurt you!” Helena abruptly let go of her trapped target and revealed that Clint Barton was the one underneath the hood, filling her with relief and slight dismay simultaneously. The rush of adrenaline that threw her into action started to sour, making her feel a little queasy. Or were those the nerves steadily building toward an internal implosion? Hard to tell sometimes- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I was fine. But that form is looking fantastic, just in time for the exam you’re about to ace,” Clint reassured her, dusting himself off with a sunny grin. Unfazed, he clapped Helena on the shoulders and took in the crestfallen expression on her face. He, Natasha, Fury, and Steve oversaw her training for the position and were confident they turned their little demigoddess into a capable and deadly spy. She would do perfectly on the exam. “Now, c’mon! Nat sent me to retrieve you for our final pep talk as promised.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding in agreement, Helena awkwardly jammed her hands into the pockets of the dark hoodie she wore. She vaguely recalled falling asleep in it, so that didn’t bother her too much. With Clint confidently escorting her through the halls of the base, she gave herself permission to mull over the intended challenge ahead of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know what it would be but figured that her training factored into it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After disposing of the artifact thief, Helena found that she wanted to be a better service to the people of the world and that led to Natasha sitting her down to offer a chance to work for SHIELD. Not all their work was sunshine and roses, but she knew Helena could be a force for good within the agency. Plus, she would make the fourth member of the Avengers who joined the agency’s ranks as a superpowered unit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After deliberation and a plea to Nick Fury, Helena started her training. Most SHIELD agents would spend their time training at one of three academies in science/technology, operations, or communications for years before competing among their fellow students for the highest position within the agency. The brightest minds and the strongest warriors emerged as bright stars within the SHIELD apparatus, which Helena might constitute. However, her powers and Avenger status provided the opportunity for an exception and an accelerated course. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For her commitment to the agency, Helena would train under the trio of Natasha, Clint, and Steve with approval checked off by Hill, Fury, and some other higher-ups. The trial period started six months ago, and her handlers deemed her ready for her final examination. They allegedly modified hers to run similarly to the one others completed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arriving outside an unassuming door, Clint did a retinal scan to allow him clearance to the room. The scan chirped with recognition and flashed his credentials on the screen before the automatic door whooshed open, revealing Natasha seated at the edge of a neatly made bed. She glanced up through her coppery red hair hanging loose around her face and quirked her brow at Clint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What took you so long? I made your bed because I started getting bored-” She teased, standing onto her feet. Clint stepped inside and Helena followed behind him, relieved to see Natasha too. That made two friendly faces for her pep talk, and she genuinely appreciated that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Helena here got the jump on me. She did good,” Clint grinned, looking like a proud older brother, and Helena sheepishly swayed on her feet. Natasha let out an amused laugh and she let Helena give her a hug, not reacting. She knew Helena needed it. “She had me pinned up to the wall with an elbow on my throat. I’ll assume you taught her that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha shook her head and watched Helena float over to the bed, where she sat down politely. Helena crossed her legs at the ankles and laced her hands in her lap. Natasha smirked; watching Clint get pinned tended to bring her such joy, mostly when she was the one doing the pinning, “Nope. Rogers did.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then,” Clint whistled, and he turned to Helena, standing beside Natasha. “So, how’re you feeling, Sol?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh- Nervous, a little queasy, and nowhere close to ready-” Helena stammered, brushing back a loose tendril of hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear. Honest to the Pantheon, she felt seconds away from keeling over and losing control over her empty stomach. Natasha and Clint exchanged looks, an unspoken conversation flowing between them, leaving Helena to pleadingly wait for their sage advice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha replied, looking at her, “Helena, this is going to sound cliché, but you’re not going to fail this. You defeated a demonic thief and an entire warehouse of demons, a drakon, bloodthirsty pleasure nymphs, and a body-snatching demon and survived. I think you can handle a test. We trained you to be the best, and I firmly believe you’ve picked up our skills.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right-” Helena sighed, wringing her hands together and centering herself. She needed to get ahold of herself, or else she would find channeling her strength impossible with a scattered mind. She picked at her training clothes, dark and shapeless, and decided to pull her hoodie over her head to hide her face. She wasn’t allowed armor and wanted to improvise her identity protection. She stood up, determining that she would never be ready if she wasn’t then.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take a right, walk down the end of the hall, and choose the third door on the left. You’ll be in the testing arena. We’ll be rooting you on from behind the glass, and we expect Steve to meet us there too. He promised he wouldn’t miss it-” Clint’s statement made Helena perk up, and confidence restored some of what it lost to her esteem. Knowing that her friends would be there, and their presences were not far, made Helena regain some control over herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was her destiny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you guys there,” Helena promised and headed out of the room without further goodbyes or stalling. She wanted to complete the challenge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena followed Clint’s directions down to the letter and located the door he spoke about. It opened automatically to reveal a vast arena made of bulletproof glass, high ceilings that showed the first strokes of the evening sky, and the gaggled faces of spectators coming to watch. Along one wall, Helena witnessed the moving images of the Council adorned for all to see and guessed they were witnessing her trial in live time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she stepped with her boots onto the arena’s padded flooring, she decided to activate her powers. The amulet she wore grew hot against the skin of her clavicle, and strength seeped through her body. One moment, her eyes were blue of the most indescribable shade and the next, they gleamed an unnatural gold through the shadows. All an outside would see is two gleaming swirls of gold piercing from the darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The once open door slammed shut, and an agent, wearing standard gear, took over the screens where the Council was. He glanced down at Helena, standing ever so small in the middle of the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The final examination shall take place in three split divisions: simulation, combat, and weapons proficiency. According to the record, the simulation section has been waved for perfect marks on all assignments in the simulation category. Therefore, combat and weapons proficiency shall be the chosen tests for this session. Perform to the best of your abilities, and don’t stop until you are told to. Do you understand, Agent Solstice?” The instructions were relayed to her and Helena listened to their simplicity, knowing the exam wouldn’t be that cut and dry. Spies rarely were. Upon Helena’s confirming nod, the administrative agent announced, “The examination begins… now!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena overheard the whirling of machinery; her mind raced through the possibilities and figured that weapons would come first. Attached to her hips, two handguns sat in holsters and Helena drew them. No sooner than she did that, two targets flanking either side of her popped up and the tangible holographs barely moved before they were shot down. Helena avoided wincing at the sound of the guns going off, ringing in her ears, and she ensured that the targets were dead before conducting a circular sweep. She held her breath when listening for the telltale zing that meant another target, and she would swiftly shoot it down. Clint, the master of accuracy, taught her the tricks he used and she practiced them in stride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bullet after bullet she shot, performing a quick magazine change during the fight and showing her skills in that too. The final holographic target popped up behind her and Helena didn’t need to even turn her head, using her instincts to level the gun and nail a blind headshot. Clint showed her that for when she wanted to show off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The intention worked as intended, as Helena heard faint cheer rising from behind the barrier. When Helena stared at the Council, watching her through the darkness hiding their expressions, she knew that combat would be the only task left of her. So, she clicked the safety onto the handguns, knelt down, and tossed them to the side—rendering them harmless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes, relying on her heightened senses to keep her from danger and warn her when danger should approach. Through the swirling mass of darkness behind her eyes, the soft touch of footsteps onto the floor steadily coming at her snapped her into focus with her eyes gleaming. Gracefully spinning around, Helena slammed her foot into the first assailant’s chest and shoved them back into a groaning heap on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors opened and a flood of agents rushed into the room, heading toward her. Helena narrowed her eyes and readied her fists. She underwent training like this before when Natasha and Steve were improving her combat skills. She learned to keep up with multiple targets rushing her as her training became more hands-on than theoretical. While Steve always displayed some hesitance about hurting her, Natasha was downright ruthless in her approach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, Helena knew that Natasha’s intentions worked better in the long-run approach. So, when the flood of opponents rushed her way, she knew what to do. In a move uncharacteristically bold of her, Helena lunged at the first opponents she saw and took them off-guard as she went in swinging. She was a force of nature. Wildly throwing punches, kicks, elbows, and knees in a traditional variant of mixed martial arts acted as her first line of defense, which gained momentum with her super-strength. She didn’t stop there but used her craftiness to her advantage. Where she could, she maneuvered to the side and let her opponents tangle with each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena largely dodged through the assault with minimal injuries and evading her opponents, like a good spy should. But one of the agents got the jump on her from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck in a choke. She growled and sunk her nails into his arm, trying to wrangle him away from her. Most of the agents laid unmoving on the floor from their swift knock-outs, except for one that crawled back onto her feet. She rushed at the restrained Helena, prepared to take her out—no hard feelings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena didn’t want that to happen and wouldn’t let it. Even with her hands tied up, she was far from useless. When the agent rushed her, Helena leaned herself forward and caused the two agents to collide, their heads smacking together. Down low, Helena kicked the one running at her backward and sent her stumbling over the “unconscious” bodies. That provided enough of a distraction for the agent holding her by the neck to do something about him, slipping out of his grip. The agent stared at the newly freed Helena and lashed out, punching her across the face. The punch hit the side of Helena’s face and she barely recoiled, turning her head back to face him slowly. She whispered something akin to sorry before sucker punching him with enough force to launch him across the room. A pile of bodies around her left no foe standing and Helena knew she completed the exam, praying that she passed with flying colors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Breathing hard, Helena made herself face the Council and stared at them with triumph written in her expression. She held her chin high and kept her focus fixed on the Council, even when the doors opened again. Stepping through them was none other than Director Nick Fury, appearing slightly smug through his eye when approaching Helena. Another chance he proved the Council incorrect meant a good day for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the Council in agreement as to whether Agent Solstice passed her exam?” Fury inquired, stepping beside Helena and standing tall. He knew that she couldn’t have given a better performance, nor could most of the other agents who graduated from an academy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We agree. The exam passes.” One of the voices declared, and the decision echoing across the room. Helena felt breathless and Fury pulled out his tablet, signing off on the orders waiting on his screen. He assumed that Helena would pass from the assurance he received from Natasha, Clint, and Steve as to her potential.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As Solstice successfully completed training and certification under the approval of the Council, she’ll be given a probationary agent to serve out her first few missions. They will transition into partners for the next strike team, the fifth in SHIELD history-” Fury declared to the holographic panel of the Council, garnering a smattering of polite applause from the blank faces Helena couldn’t see. Her heart picked up, wildly bouncing in her eardrums. She didn’t know that to be the next step, but she should’ve guessed with how Clint and Natasha’s partnership came to be. She glanced around, wondering who exactly her new partner would be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spotted Natasha and Clint’s faces in the gathered crowd behind the translucent barrier, watching her with evident pride in their eyes. She was their friend, their teammate, and they wanted to see her succeed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Audibly, the door opened behind her and Fury, and a pair of heavy footsteps echoed behind them, signaling someone entering the room. As Helena inhaled calmly to face who she assumed was her partner, Fury held his hands behind his back, “I have chosen to pair Solstice with Captain Rogers as the first superpowered unit for SHIELD-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena’s head whipped around quickly, spotting none other than Steve in his uniform. Through his cowl, she could see his eyes sparkling with a smile. He walked closer, and Helena did her best not to squeal or launch herself into bear hugging him with everyone watching. She knew how to keep professional, she promised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sol.” He greeted her, keeping his expression in check. The two shook hands briefly, but their eyes met. Helena found all the pride and reassurance waiting for her once she stepped out of the arena and far from the attention of the Council. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain,” Helena nodded, playing along. She bit back a smile and spun on her heel, dedicated to finishing out her exam without a misstep in sight. She would make time to celebrate later, “Director Fury, the Council, I accept this decision with the highest honor and the utmost graciousness for your faith in me. I will serve SHIELD and protect the world from the threats hidden in the shadows. You have my word.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well, Solstice. Be prepared for your first mission soon.” Fury remarked, turning to the Council and staring all of them down with his good eye, daring them to say anything stupid. He never felt fond of the bureaucratic red tape and the inter-agency politics he wrangled against when dealing with the Council. He didn’t trust any of them as far as he could throw them, but that applied as a general rule for anyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena felt Steve grab her arm, and she glanced over her shoulder to see him and Maria Hill, newly standing in the doorway, silently gesturing for her to depart with them. Helena wordlessly walked out with Steve and met Maria in the empty hall, seeing a tablet in her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Congratulations, Solstice,” Maria declared, offering the faintest of smiles. She never smiled while on the job but was a nice woman outside of work. Helena had met her plenty of times since their initial meeting before she pledged herself to train. “You are an Agent of SHIELD. How does that feel?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena laughed, bouncing on her heels slightly. She knew she should be serious about this since being a spy was not fun and games, but she hoped that six-months of intensive training paying off would be a reasonable cause for happiness. She shook her head, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through her veins and filling her with undeniable tingling, “Truthfully, I’m still in shock.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll get used to it, I assure you. Besides, you have Cap here to show you the ropes. He finished his probationary period under Natasha fairly recently, and Fury okayed it.” Maria pats her on the shoulder, giving Steve a knowing look and the slightest of smirks. Steve removed his cowl to reveal his blond hair rumpled from underneath like helmet hair and freed up his face to Helena’s view. He felt ageless, his square jaw, unblemished skin, and baby blue eyes all untainted by the cruel touch of time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need to worry about that. I’d always have Sol’s back,” Steve declared, and Helena finally dropped her hood, revealing her face. Her powers went dormant as she did so, changing her eyes back to their natural blue instead of the godly gold. She smiled at Maria and Steve, thoroughly excited for all that she accomplished in six months. Steve let himself give Helena a small smile and nudged her lightly with his shoulder, “So, partner, we have some celebrating to do. How about you and I go out with Clint and Natasha for some drinks, give you the proper celebratory tradition for every Agent who graduated the Academy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena beamed as she pulled off the hoodie, running quite warm after expending her powers for a concentrated period without “real” danger. She bundled it in her hands and pushed her hair out of her face. “Sounds great. I could use a change of clothes first.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll leave you two to it.” Maria quietly stepped back from the two of them, walking down the hallway to handle the logistics of whatever Director Fury required of her. That left Steve and Helena alone, free to converse as new partners. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the coast was clear, Helena threw her arms around Steve and he let her. He even hugged back, finally wearing a smile that conveyed how thrilled he was to work with her and that she achieved the difficult feat of becoming an agent. He always had faith in Helena’s abilities, even knowing how difficult SHIELD training was for someone unaccustomed to combat practice and the world of espionage. He made the same adjustment and figured that if Helena could flexibly adapt from training with gods to dealing with more mundane threats, she would handle any challenge SHIELD threw her way with grace and effortlessness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I watched your exam through the glass,” Steve told her, his voice slightly muffled with his face blocked by the slender curve of her shoulder. He pulled back, holding Helena at arm’s length, and Helena visibly brightened when taking in his pride for her. “You did amazing out there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t take all the credit. I had some amazing teachers.” Helena softly complimented, causing Steve to humbly nod his head. He refused to take any credit because that was all her back there, skilled and dedicated when she wanted something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dropped his arms and glanced down both sides of the hall, watching for any passersby coming through and interrupting their private conversation. Helena, noticing this but trusting Steve to handle that, quietly exclaimed, “I can’t believe we’re going to be strike team partners! That’s a permanent thing, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, especially if we work well together—which I have a feeling we will. Look at Clint and Nat, because they’ve been working together since Nat came to work for SHIELD ages ago- and speak of the devil-” Steve whispered the last part, seeing Clint and Natasha approaching the two of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena couldn’t contain her excitement when seeing her other friends, and Clint shared her enthusiasm while Natasha appeared more controlled in her reaction. However, Helena didn’t mistake her restricted behavior as anything negative or bordering disapproval. Natasha simply suited the role of the more reserved pair in her and Clint’s duo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s official! You’re one of us now,” Clint said, bursting with identical energy as Helena, who was slowly descending out of the euphoric post-adrenaline haze. Helena heard ‘one of us,’ and that made the second time such a phrase incited satisfaction within her. First, the Avengers opened their team to her. Now, she added the shadow eagle emblem to her allegiances as an Agent of SHIELD.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope that Cap told you about the new recruit tradition?” Natasha raised a slender brow, directed to Steve as a question, and he scoffed at her. The tradition wasn’t a priority before congratulating Helena and make sure she felt ready to assume the responsibility of being an agent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did! He explained that there’s a tradition for newly graduated agents but didn’t get to what it was quite yet.” Helena nodded, eager to hear about this tradition that every agent seemed to know about but her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint chuckled, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, “There’s a little dive bar in the next town over, Leaning Stone Roadhouse, that is a hot spot for agents during the off-hours and a staple for new graduates. Two former agents run it and make sure to be super friendly about giving the newest members of SHIELD a discount on the booze. Plus, it gives good, low-stakes practice integrating with the locals and working those spy skills.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena noticed that Natasha and Clint were dressed in casual clothes, having changed between her entering the arena and meeting up with her and Steve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As long as I can get dinner there, I’m sold. I need something to replenish my energy after all the fighting and when the adrenaline eventually fades out. I’ll even go dressed like this.” Helena mused, gesturing at her attire. Natasha held up her hand and grabbed Helena’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had something waiting for you already,” Natasha passed her a bag that Helena recognized belonging to her and found a casual outfit of jeans, a long-sleeved blouse, and some cute ankle boots from her closet. They were something she let herself splurge on when she saw a sale during one of her days off. “Those should fit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you! These will work wonderfully!” Helena exclaimed and quickly scurried off to the nearest room to change, picking out the locker rooms a few doors down from where the group stood, leaving Steve with Clint and Natasha. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you and Helena, huh? Better be prepared to get cozy because you never know when you two will need to rely on a cover.” Clint teased, earning a snicker from Natasha. Steve’s expression felt well worth it, flickering between sheepishness, embarrassment, and knee-jerk protest about what exactly Clint implied there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming from you two? That’s ironic-” He mentioned, glancing to where Clint wrapped his arm lazily around Natasha’s waist. Steve raised his brow, offering them a challenge that they couldn’t argue against. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re just saying, stranger things have happened. Besides, you and Helena are far from strangers.” Natasha countered, fully leaning on the implication that Clint put out there. She suspected some things, but nothing she could definitively prove outside of some investigation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-What about me?” Helena’s voice interrupted the hushed conversation between Steve, Natasha, and Clint, and they all turned to see Helena, newly dressed, politely waiting for them. She combed her fingers through her hair, fluffing out the long waves for a desirable messy look. She glanced between them three, unable to hide the flare of concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing important,” Steve reassured her, quickly shutting down further discussion with a pointed look at Clint and Natasha. The two of them acted innocent, which they clearly weren’t, and Steve shook his head. He focused back on Helena, who was the woman of the hour, and smiled softly, “You ready to go?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stress melted from Helena’s face as she declared, “Absolutely!” Before they could start walking, Natasha held her hand out and stopped Steve in his place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might want to change before we leave, Cap. The uniform will make you stick out like a sore thumb.” Natasha reminded and Steve glanced down at his suit, groaning. He should have some spare clothes in the locker room. He wordlessly jogged off to change, ignoring the quiet laughter from his teammates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes, he re-emerged, wearing his go-to casual look of a tight t-shirt and some worn-down jeans. Helena smiled at him, and he returned the gesture. The four agents borrowed one agency vehicle from the fleet of identical, non-descript black cars that would keep from standing out too much. Natasha drove them there with Clint riding shotgun and Steve and Helena occupying the backseat without a fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bar seemed a short drive from the base, which Helena noticed surrounded by trees and isolated wooded areas. She assumed that they would play the base off as a top-secret military installation or something of the like, keeping outsiders from wandering too close. Soon, the thickets of trees thinned out, and the dirt road led them into a midsized town that felt tiny compared to the sprawling expanse of New York. Helena’s face felt illuminated under the flashing, neon signs through the backseat window and her eyes curiously jumped along with the scenery until they parked outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bar appeared like an old Western saloon with a neon red sign done up in loopy cursive and a parking lot filled with beat-up pickup trucks. Helena slid out of the backseat and flounced after her friends, ready to celebrate the evening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint pushed open the doors, revealing the inside of the bar decorated like an ode to the old country style found in the Midwest. Helena’s eyes widened, having never seen anything like it where she grew up on the West Coast or in her years with the Pantheon. She had become accustomed to golden pillars, the ivory palace floors, vibrant silks, and the peachy pink kiss of perpetual sunset instead of leather and spurs, cowboy hats, and the stereotypical markings of a rancher. Clint clapped excitedly, “To the bar! The first round’s on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waved for the others to follow, with Steve and Natasha already knowing the routine. The foursome moved through the crowd of locals, who glanced their way once or twice. Some vaguely recalled the faces of the group, and that seemed good enough not to prod into someone else’s business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing behind the bar, a stout woman with fair hair pinned away from her face and dressed in comfortable flannel wiped down the counters with a whistling melody floating around her. She glanced up, eyes flashing in recognition when seeing Clint. Clint gently nudged Helena to stand next to him at the front of the group. “Adler, good to see you! Might I introduce you to my friend, Sol? She finished her exams today and is the next recruit to our old boss.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Leaning Stone Roadhouse. It’s been ages since we had a fast tracker who could drink-” Faith Adler declared, briefly glancing toward Steve. She recalled him downing several drinks from her bar and appearing just fine at the end of the night, drawing her suspicion. She never met a man who held his liquor that well before. Wiping her hands down, she gave a nod toward Helena, who appeared a shy one, “What’ll it be, sweetheart?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s start us off with a Flaming Dr. Pepper to kick things off. You have any Chartreuse for after I get some food in me?” Helena inquired, finding herself boosted with a spark of confidence. It wasn’t every day that someone became a secret agent of a spy agency and a famous superhero concurrently. Adler gave an impressed whistle at the pretty little lady standing before her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you know your liquors, miss. We definitely will keep it chilled and waiting.” Adler reached for the amaretto underneath the bar and lined up several shot glasses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “She’s quite the chef,” Steve mentioned, sweeping Helena’s attention onto him instead of Adler pouring the liquor. She gave him a brilliant smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners and cheeks glowing with a delicate pink glow to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint leaned against the counter, excitedly eyeing the filled shot glasses. “While we’re at it, can we get a table-sized helping of garlic fries and beef sliders too?” Clint inquired, giving a charming grin. Natasha went to grab them a table and sent down their coats to mark the table as taken. Adler leaned toward the kitchen and barked out an incomprehensible order to the cook, who gave her a thumbs-up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint and Adler sparked a conversation about Clint and Natasha’s past visit, filled with references to events Helena knew nothing about. She leaned up against the bar, closing her eyes as she took in the smell of grease wafting out of the kitchen, hints of cigarette smoke peppering the air, and the unmistakable haze of alcohol blanketing over the room. Music and ambient conversations brightened the bar with an undeniable sense of aesthetic charm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, handsome-” Helena’s eyes snapped open and snapped to her right, where Steve should be still, and spotted a young woman with a thick southern accent and handmade daisy dukes standing behind them. Steve had already turned around, and Helena glanced over her shoulder, catching Miss Daisy Dukes’ eyes. She nearly recoiled from the coldness, unsure as to why she was getting the unprompted glare. Miss Daisy Dukes looked back to Steve and bit on her lip, giving a sultry smile. “I haven’t seen you around here before!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My friends and I were just passing through town- Isn’t that right, Sol?” Steve inquired, turning his head toward Helena and pulling her into the conversation. Miss Daisy Dukes appeared miffed that she wasn’t occupying Steve’s undivided attention. After all, two’s a company and three’s a crowd as the old saying went. Ignoring the annoyance radiating off the Miss Daisy Dukes as Steve kept his focus on her, Helena nodded. She dared to meet Steve’s eyes and smile at him when he leaned his elbow across the bar’s counter, appearing utterly relaxed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She overheard a whistle and saw Natasha beckoning her and Steve to come to witness the spectacle of their drinks getting made. Helena nodded and turned to Steve, “Looks like our drinks are ready.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like they are,” Steve, with the press of a soft hand to the small of her back, turned Helena around and walked with her back to the others as they forgot about Miss Daisy Dukes gawking at them in disbelief. Helena swallowed back a laugh, filled with lightness and the feeling of what she could only describe as her heart vibrating with excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lined up in a row, Adler lined up the flaming shots and, with expert precision, extinguished them before dropping them into the beer. She grinned as Clint, Natasha, Steve, and Helena scrambled to grab their drinks and down them in a single take, feeling the burn of the alcohol spreading across their tongues. Helena seemed the first to finish her drink, tipping the glass back down on the counter with her friends finishing in near unison with her. Helena felt a loose, freeing whoop cry out, and her world became warmer as the alcohol gave her playful bursts of heat to her already natural warmth. Her amusement earned Steve throwing his arm around her shoulder, and Helena felt herself subconsciously leaning into his touch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bartender grinned, sliding the completed order of the fries and the sliders to Clint, who accepted them gleefully. The four incognito heroes slid into their chosen table, a shadowy booth tucked into the corner of the room and promptly dug in. No one willingly got in the way of Helena lunging for the sliders and fries since she needed them more than they did. Usually a fan of healthy foods and cooking her meals, Helena couldn’t care less when presented with the savory, mouth-watering aroma of the greasy finger food sitting before her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think tonight deserves a toast. To Helena!” Steve whispered to the four of them, sneaking a fry from the dish. Clint nodded, and Natasha smirked; they agreed with that. Helena bashfully glanced down, covering her mouth as they raised a silent toast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Helena reminded them with a grin, finishing off her slider and quickly dabbing her face clean. She looked toward the bar where Adler produced the telltale green bottle of Chartreuse and poured several glasses for her and her friends. This looked nothing like the celebrations she remembered from her time in the Pantheon, but she adored it nevertheless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adler swung by their table and dropped off their drinks whenever they were ready for them. Helena scarfed down half the food before she delicately sipped at her drink, since it worked as a digestif, and slumped happily into the booth. Steve nudged her lightly, “We can’t have you falling asleep yet, Lena. You deserve to have a night out, one all about you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but you know I’ve always been more of a homebody,” Helena mumbled quietly, causing Steve to lean in to hear her better. She teasingly poked his nose, and Steve moved her hand back with a grin. Before he could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he made sure to stifle a groan when answering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He listened to the caller on the other line for a moment, reaching for Helena’s hand. She gave him a curious look, and he mouthed “Fury” to her. Helena’s eyes widened and put up a minimal fuss when Steve brought her along as he slipped out of the booth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be back-” Helena promised Natasha and Clint, who exchanged confused looks with her, and she accompanied Steve back to the car. The two of them quietly moved across the parking lot, weaving through cars and getting into theirs. They chose the backseat for better coverage with the tinted windows and laid low. Steve fumbled with putting the phone onto speaker until Helena gave him a helping hand, knowing that he recently switched phones. He nodded gratefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Helena and I are here,” Steve stated into the phone, eyes looking through the windshield to confirm no one followed them out of the bar. Helena checked behind the car, too, sensing that she should help out. They were partners, and they needed to watch each other’s backs at all times. “You said we have a mission?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fury cleared his throat from the other side, momentarily causing Helena some panic. A mission? Already? That felt so sudden, and she wanted to make sure things went according to plan and then some. “Yes. Tomorrow morning, early. You’ll be catching a quinjet ride out to Europe for a mission. I expect you two to prepare for the flight there properly, and your mission files will be handed to you once you board the quinjet. Good luck—and one more thing, the Council has finally designated your strike team name.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Oh. That was another new development. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got us in suspense,” Steve remarked, glancing to Helena in the driver’s seat while she bounced her leg in anticipation. A pause ensued from Fury’s end of the call, and Steve and Helena were prepared for what came next—expecting the new phase of their hero careers to take off without much downtime. The world needed saving, and they were the team for the job. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Echo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve had to admit that this mission was on the higher end of his short-lived career. No jumping out of planes into gunfire or throwing enemy combatants into walls with an enhanced punch for this go about. Instead, Steve stood in the nicest hotel room he had ever seen as he fiddled with his black bowtie in the full-body mirror.</p><p>Steve never liked wearing suits or tuxedos, finding them to be too formal or never fit right. However, it seemed whoever SHIELD hired as their tailor managed to accurately get his measurements to create a comfortable fit. Breathable while still adhering to his shape, he would guess that this suit was made for the possible scenario of a fight.</p><p>Buzzing in his pocket, the assigned burner phone for the mission beckoned Steve out of his thoughts. He mumbled something incoherent to even himself when reaching into his pocket. He fished the phone out and opened it. As he read over the message, he adjusted the monochrome pocket square Helena picked out for him before she disappeared into the bathroom nearly two hours ago.</p><p>
  <em>Unknown number, 1845: Strike Team Echo, recon teams are in place and awaiting your signal when you have Dr. Rotari to safely transport. The confidential intel files have been sent to Agent Solstice and you, Captain Rogers. </em>
</p><p>Steve nodded, closing the text message before it self-deleted. He went to the secure files tab, conducted the quick identification measures in an eye scan and thumbprint check, and checked the intelligence. Natasha taught him a few of her tricks from her entire life dedicated to espionage but wasn’t as forthcoming about things falling outside that purview. She taught him what he needed to learn to survive and nothing more, and Steve guessed he preferred it that way.</p><p>He wasn’t as keen on being a spy as he was a soldier.</p><p>The mission was simple enough, chosen to accommodate Helena’s new status while playing to their strengths. The two of them were in the heart of Paris, France, on a recon mission. One of SHIELD’s newest assets, an acclaimed researcher in biotechnology named Dr. Giovanni Rotari, would be presenting at a conference in the city as a keynote speaker. Dr. Rotari’s innovations caught the eye of several governments and organizations, but he ultimately chose to work for SHIELD. His affiliation with foreign actors riled up a small, militant group with ties to Italian nationalism known as the Sentries of New Rome. SHIELD had been keeping tabs on their organization long before Rotari’s recruitment, and the decision sent the two warring factions hurtling toward violence.</p><p>The Sentries declared terroristic threats on the life of Giovanni Rotari, painting him as an enemy of the state and effectively slapping a target on his back. Rotari needed to keep appearances within his community as a leading researcher and engage in conferences and donor events. After the threats on his life, SHIELD needed to ensure his safety and eliminate a possible connection between the Sentinels and any metahuman activity.</p><p>So, Steve and Helena would be going undercover. They would be locating Dr. Rotari, identifying themselves as his protection detail, and escorting him to their intended safe house. From what Steve recalled, the safe place was on the outskirts of Beaune, a small countryside providence two hours out of Paris by train. However, SHIELD would be putting them in an armored SUV instead to travel.</p><p>When overhearing the click of the bathroom lock, Steve closed the phone, expecting that meant Helena to be finished with her getting ready. He turned around as the door to the bathroom opened, expelling a burst of hot air from the shower she took before beginning. Out stepped Helena in everything but her heels, and Steve felt at a loss for words.</p><p>Helena looked like a model, not unusual for her, but it became quite pronounced when she turned the glamor to the maximum. Her dark hair, pulled back by a silver clip, opened her glowing face to more light. The navy blue, sequined fabric of the one-shoulder, floor-length gown she wore caught the light with a kaleidoscopic effect in the rippling glimmers as she moved.</p><p>“Steve, you look wonderful! That suit fits perfectly,” Helena commented, gasping slightly after covering her mouth—careful not to get the clear gloss she finished her lips with onto her hands. Her eyes were downright sparkling like she plucked the stars out of the sky and laid them against the nameless shade of blue that was Helena’s eyes. She walked forward, reaching out for his open arms.</p><p>Helena gave a soft giggle when she noticed his bow tie askew, reaching forward. “Let me help you.” She said.</p><p>“Helena—” Steve greeted, finally managing to overcome his hesitance. His eyes swept down the sequined fabric wrapped around her. Blue was certainly her color.</p><p>“Yes?” She inquired, softly glancing up to meet his eyes.</p><p>“—You look lovely. We’re supposed to be blending in, and you’re going to be impossible to ignore in that dress. You will be the best-dressed by a long shot.” Steve complimented, his words bringing a frenzy of pink brushing across her cheeks. Helena felt thoroughly humbled by his statement, even if she didn’t believe it to be true.</p><p>“Thank you, Steve,” Helena whispered, and she dropped her arms when she realized she finished fixing his bow tie already. The two of them smiled at each other, and Steve could feel Helena’s nervousness seeping through her smile. Understandable, as it was her first real mission. She delicately cleared her throat, “Are we ready to go?”</p><p>“Yes, so we should get our earpieces in,” Steve reached over to the counter for a little velvet box sitting close to the edge. To an outsider’s view, they might assume it to hold a gorgeous necklace or a gift. But a simple pop open of the lid revealed two unassuming devices that Steve and Helena knew to be SHIELD technology communicators designed to be unassuming and hidden in plain sight. Employed with the same cloaking technology as quinjets or other SHIELD vehicles, the earpieces were used for subtle communication during covert operations.</p><p>Steve handed Helena her earpiece, and she slipped it into her right ear with him doing the same. He closed the box and slipped it into their duffle bags. They would fetch the bags, filled with nothing important beyond a change of clothing and copies of their fake credentials and travel papers.</p><p>Together, Steve and Helena departed from their hotel room and headed out to the street below, where a car awaited them. They slid into the backseat, not speaking to the agent sitting in the front seat. Steve recognized her from around during his shadowing and felt like her name was something with an S… Susan? Sarah? Sharon- It was Sharon.</p><p>The car ride started off quiet until Helena pulled out her and Steve’s fake IDs stashed into the small clutch she would carry on her. She passed Steve’s to him with and grin and tried not to laugh.</p><p>“Whoever made yours is playing a joke,” Helena remarked and glanced over the files in her phone. Steve peered over her shoulder, reading along with her. “They made you an American tech entrepreneur. You still hate using your phone to read the news.” She giggled.</p><p>“-And they made you my Russian trophy wife,” Steve pointed out, looking at Helena with a grin. “Hope your Russian is good.”</p><p>“Darling, please, I speak fluently,” Helena replied in a pristine accent that Natasha might even think twice about the authenticity. She winked at Steve, making the two of them laugh. Looks like Helena would be leading the way and Steve guessed he would talk like all his projects were classified.</p><p>“Color me jealous,” He teased, and the two relaxed back in their seats. They were aware that Sharon watched them from the front seat, but their friendship wasn’t so easily hidden. Silence floated through the backseat, and Steve glanced over, seeing Helena with eyes closed and fiddling with her amulet. She never went anywhere without it, and it ensured a strong connection to her powers, giving them a boost in combat. Steve reached out and took one of her hands, bringing their hands together.</p><p>The move got Helena’s attention, encouraging her to meet Steve’s eyes. She admired the quiet, humble confidence that seemed so inherent to who Steve was. All she ever felt between the highs of excitement and victory were plagues of self-doubt and anxiety with extra attached. As much as she faced the world with a smile, there was never a guarantee over how genuine that smile was.</p><p>“We’re going to do great,” Steve assured her, knowing what she needed to hear somehow without her asking it of him.</p><p>“I know,” Helena nodded. They had to. The life of Dr. Rotari depended on them. While the spying business was still new to her, she bet that a battle would be something she could manage. Although hoping it didn’t come to the point of fighting to live another day, she and Steve knew how to fight. They were warriors above all.</p><p>The ride to the dinner venue and keynote speech from their hotel ended up surprisingly short, defying Helena’s expectations. She made sure to recite her name so she would respond to it when called and introduce herself with her simplistic backstory of being a former Russian ballerina and the bare basics of her timeline with Steve’s undercover identity.</p><p>When Sharon pulled up to the venue, and the valet came to open the doors, she finally faced Steve and Helena for the first time and gave a knowing nod, “Good luck, Strike Team Echo.”</p><p>“Thank you, Agent,” Helena smiled, slipping into the accent to get into the headspace. The door opened, letting Steve out first. He brushed off his jacket and offered his hand out to Helena, assisting her out of the car.</p><p>Eyes immediately landed on the couple, taking in their fine attire and their appearances. They looked famous from how they dressed and were able to seamlessly get polite greetings when they passed. No one could put a finger on where they had seen the two before, and that was by design. Steve and Helena’s identities were not public knowledge, especially not Helena’s. Attending a conference overseas meant the likelihood of getting recognized as two Avengers drastically decreased.</p><p>At the door, they faced the dreaded guest list. Steve held out his identification and gave a charming half-smile, “Evan Walker and my wife, Irina Preobrazhensky. We should be on the list.”</p><p>Neither dared to glance at the other while the bouncers examined the list, holding their breath while waiting for their clearance. They were promised that a SHIELD tech hacked into the records, created a paper trail of their identities for any skeptics, and inserted them into the guest list.</p><p>After a moment, the bouncer waved them through and told them, “There you are, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, go on ahead.” The path cleared, and Steve nodded respectfully, escorting Helena inside with a strong arm curled protectively around her waist. Onlookers wouldn’t be able to tell that Steve and Helena weren’t married, let alone lovers.</p><p>Inside the room, tables filled the floor with guests mingling in deep conversations. As Helena and Steve passed, they heard vague snippets floating through the noise about astrophysics, chemistry, and biotechnology. Steve felt thoroughly confused, and Helena could admit she wasn’t far behind him in that regard. She knew that higher levels of agents would receive rudimentary training in the fundamentals of different subjects from math, science, humanities like literature and history, languages, politics and diplomacy, art, food, culture, and plenty more. Depending on the mission, integrating into a social circle or conversation would make any agent successful.</p><p>“I feel out of my element,” Helena whispered, still using the accent. She prompted a light chuckle out of Steve, who felt identical. Looks like they’d be winging the conversation.</p><p>“Don’t worry about that. We can figure out something,” Steve rubbed at her back, his fingers slanted toward the small of her back. His eyes scanned the perimeter for any sign of Dr. Rotari as locating him and ensuring his safety was their mission. “Let’s just find Dr. Rotari sooner rather than later.”</p><p>“Good plan,” Helena mumbled, glancing to the side as they came to a stop. Steve grabbed a flute of champagne off the tray when a waiter tried to squeeze by them. Steve took a quick sip, handing the rest to Helena. He had little use for champagne, seeing as he couldn’t get drunk. Helena wouldn’t drink heavily on a mission, but she could hold a glass down to appear as a participant.</p><p>She thought, <em>“If I were a renowned scientist with a bounty on my life, where would I be hiding?”</em></p><p>Tapping into her imagination, Helena’s eyes roved around the room while Steve escorted her through the crowd. She kept her focus close to the stage and spotted the face of Dr. Rotari, who she memorized from the case file, and tugged Steve’s arm.</p><p>“Found him?” Steve inquired, taking in her nod. “Lead the way.”</p><p>“Before we do,” Helena stopped Steve; the two of them paused in the middle of the room, whereas Dr. Rotari awaited them in the frontmost left corner of the room. Steve glanced to his side, as Helena reigned at near-equal height in some kitten heels, and she surveyed the room. She didn’t think the would-be assailants would take bold measures like killing Dr. Rotari in public, but she couldn’t rule poisoning as ‘off the table,’ “Should one of us stick with Dr. Rotari while the other one looks for any sight of the enemy?”</p><p>Steve contemplated that action, keeping his eyes trained on Dr. Rotari while Helena glanced around the room. She looked for anyone paying notice of the doctor with some irregularity that telegraphed as an obsession. One of her undeniable strengths in training ended up analyzing body language and micro-expressions, which she decided to rely on.</p><p>“I think we should stick together,” Steve remarked, making an executive decision. He started leading Helena over to Dr. Rotari when he leaned in and whispered, “The layout of the room isn’t big enough for any Sentinels to hide, and sending one of us away would leave us down a watchful pair of eyes.”</p><p>Helena nodded, appreciating his logic. Steve was right, and she would follow his lead. She knew that she wanted and assumed that Steve wanted an equal, give and take kind of partnership. Steve never let her blindly follow, not when she was an Avenger, and he refused to do so now. Helena had great insights. He had expertise. When they paired their strengths together, that created an unstoppable duo.</p><p>Helena and Steve slipped through the gala's guests, avoiding getting caught up in small talk with strangers. Their beeline for Dr. Rotari couldn’t be derailed for the sake of maintaining their cover.</p><p>As they approached, Dr. Giovanni Rotari glanced in their direction and noticed the two of them coming. He had gotten an encrypted message from SHIELD that self-destructed but described the general appearance of his assigned extraction team leaders. He was looking for a tall, blond man in a standard black suit accompanying a dark-haired, equally tall woman in a blue evening gown.</p><p>That description fit the young-looking couple approaching him and his current conversation partners, so he quietly waved to Steve and Helena to come. Catching the cue, Helena pulled Steve along a little quicker, and they arrived before Dr. Rotari, who looked them over.</p><p>He smiled, leaning forward to whisper, “I suppose that you’re the agents I was told about, the ones meant to guard me?” He was the one who alerted those at SHIELD to the threats made against him from the Sentinels, prompting the establishment of a protection squad and mission. He came to the event expecting to be greeted and intercepted by agents.</p><p>“That’s us,” Steve promised and gestured between him and Helena. “This is Agent Solstice, and you can call me Captain Rogers. We’re with SHIELD.”</p><p>“Yes, I am aware—” Dr. Rotari mentioned, dabbing his forehead. He had been maintaining his composure during his conversations and the past few weeks in between the first attempt on his life and that evening’s gala. Remaining calm while knowing someone actively wanted you dead proved harder than anticipated. He glanced around, “—I must let you know that I’m delivering the keynote address of the night.”</p><p>“When will that be?” Helena questioned, frowning. She instantly went to calculate their next moves and timing.</p><p>“At the beginning of the night, but we can leave shortly after. I have a bit of a reputation of leaving early from functions as a self-described hermit and for my old age.” Dr. Rotari explained, giving Steve and Helena some relief. That would mean about thirty or so minutes to stick it out before they could complete their mission—they would take the victory where they could find it.</p><p>“I think we can handle that. Helena and I will take care of everything-” Steve started, but quickly found his train of thought derailed when his phone started buzzing. That meant another message for him and Helena, likely a piece of information pertinent to the mission. He checked his phone to see a new message.</p><p>
  <em>Unknown number, 1920: Captain Rogers, we have cracked an encrypted message transmitted from the Sentinels and determined they sent three assassins. Among them is a sniper. They will take Rotari out during his speech. </em>
</p><p>Steve cursed, immediately showing Helena and watched her face go pale. His eyes jumped over to the windows on the wall to the right of the stage. They were at an angle, but Dr. Rotari standing on the stage would find him in the perfect line of fire. Steve climbed up the steps for a better view and spotted the building next door, closed for construction, with a flat rooftop, and he would guess easy access as the line of fire was perfect.</p><p>“What do you want to do?” Helena questioned him, voice low and glancing at Dr. Rotari watching them with keen interest. They appeared thoroughly concerned about whatever came through Captain Rogers’s device.</p><p>“You stay here with Dr. Rotari and make sure no one tries to make a move. I’ll go across the street and handle the assassins. You have a better grasp on your cover than I do, and no one will bat an eye when a beautiful woman graciously helps an older gentleman around.” Steve declared and Helena, barely skimming over the compliment without stammering, nodded in agreement. He had a course of action, and they could act it out.</p><p>“Good luck,” She whispered to him, knowing there wasn’t enough time for a prayer to protect him, and she needed him to come back. “Stay safe, please.”</p><p>“I’ll do my best,” Steve promised her, unable to definitively say he would come back without a few scrapes and bruises. He raced down the side of the room and took a longer route through the venue to exit through the side, avoiding attention.</p><p>Steve bolted across the street, barely glancing for oncoming cars. He found the nearest entrance into the building and kicked the door in, finding a winding series of stairs that might lead to the rooftop.</p><p>He had other means of reaching the roof if need be.</p><p>He tackled the stairs, lending thanks to his super-endurance from the serum as he flew up the several flights of stairs. He barely gripped the rail, afraid to rip it off its hinges from his speed and unintended strength. Steve approached the final stairs standing between him and the roof, where he expected the sentinels to be setting up for their hit job. Tough luck for them that SHIELD had them all figured out.</p><p>Taking a breath, he leaned back before sprinting up the stairs without fear. He had some durability with his suit infused with vibranium and Kevlar. He ripped the door off its hinges and charged forward, using the block as a makeshift SHIELD since he didn’t come with his. He hurled it at the first Sentinel, knocking him down into the dirty gravel. Steve grinned, nearly pinning them underneath the door, and raced for the two still standing.</p><p>“Get the professor, go!” The second one screamed, but Steve chased after the one with the briefcase. He scanned for extra weapons but saw nothing beyond the case holding the sniper rifle inside of it. He felt one of the Sentinels jump on his back and pull him, but he quickly outmaneuvered from his arms.</p><p>By that time, the Sentinel trapped under the door freed himself and lunged over at Steve. He was handling two on one with ease. He blocked punches, retaliating with ones in return. He would often glance over to the sniper frantically assembling the rifle to take out Dr. Rotari.</p><p>Steve knocked out the first Sentinel when he ducked a punch from one that collided with the other’s face and finished the deal with a firm kick to the stomach. When that Sentinel crumpled, Steve focused his undivided attention on brawling with the second, unarmed Sentinel when he saw the sniper trying to find the angle.</p><p>He needed to warn Helena.  </p><p>“Sniper got to the ledge! Protect Dr. Rotari!” Steve yelled over the comms, knocking out the second Sentinel with a sucker punch to the jaw. He crumpled to the ground like a lifeless training dummy, leaving Steve to interfere with the sniper aiming for the shot.</p><p><em>“I’m on it!”</em> Helena’s voice crackled from the other line, and as Steve charged toward the sniper, he fired the shot. A silencer muffled the bullet, aimed at the perfect angle for a headshot, but Helena wouldn’t let them win. A golden glow blanketed over the window that the shot aimed for, and when the bullet collided with the light barrier, it crushed itself into a harmless pile of metal. It plinked off the side and into the darkness somewhere.</p><p>The sniper couldn’t believe his luck, but that disappointment turned short-lived when Steve tackled him and wrangled him into a bear grip.</p><p>“Nice save,” Steve huffed out, dragging the sniper backward as he struggled. Applying proper pressure, Steve squeezed, and the final Sentinel limply collapsed in his arms. He inched a few steps to lay the unconscious sniper down on the roof. He hustled past, going to take the gun off the ledge and switch it off, eliminating the danger. He pressed two fingers against the earpiece when looking at the three bodies connecting to Helena on the lower floor, unsure if she heard him. “I commend the fast-thinking, Sol.”</p><p>Downstairs, Helena couldn’t help a smile when hearing the slightly staticky message come through as Dr. Rotari finished up his remarks to the audience. She hummed and mumbled softly. “I learned from the best, didn’t I?”</p><p><em>“I’ll tell Romanoff that later.”</em> Steve teased, but he hoped that Helena meant him. Helena bit back a laugh as the audience erupted into cheers, and Dr. Rotari glanced back at her. She, with a winning smile, went to retrieve him and offered out her arm. The sight wouldn’t appear too out of place given Dr. Rotari was getting up there in his seventies.</p><p>“There we are,” Helena remarked, switched back into her accent. She, as they were descending the stairs, mentioned, “The threat has been neutralized. We should be moving you to a safe house shortly.”</p><p>Dr. Rotari nodded, accepting the message and leaning into Helena’s touch. Hey, it wasn’t every day that an old geezer like himself got an escort from such a pretty young lady. The guests were encouraged to take their seats at the assigned tables, but Helena started guiding him to stand against the wall, hidden underneath the windows. They would stay out of sight for the unlikely but not impossible outcome that the sniper would manage to regain consciousness to cause chaos.</p><p>As they sidled up to the wall, Helena placed her eyes on the double doors where Steve would come through any minute. She had faith that he would make the call and return before it became time to go.</p><p>“So, Agent Solstice,” Dr. Rotari remarked, catching Helena’s attention. She nodded, showing that she listened without fully taking her eyes off the door. She needed to stay alert until Steve got back inside. “Care to talk about biotechnology?”</p><p>“I’m afraid I would be a horrible conversationalist, Dr. Rotari. My knowledge of the sciences extends to some self-taught medical studies. Perhaps the next time we speak, I will be knowledgeable in such topics?” Helena sighed, lacing her hands behind her back. She frowned, feeling ever so apologetic.</p><p>“Fair enough. What do you take an interest in, Agent?”</p><p>“I do like literature,” Helena admitted, somewhat bashfully. Yes, she was underselling her tendency to devour books and her adoration for classical literature as a mere “like,” but she digressed. Dr. Rotari’s face brightened, and it seemed that he, too, liked literature. “I did recently finish Milton’s Paradise Lost.”</p><p>“Ah! I see I have a true enthusiast of literature!” Dr. Rotari exclaimed, rubbing his hands together to bring warmth into them. He grinned, “Should I ask what your opinion on the theological elements and interpretations of the book are, or would a better, get-to-know question be your favorite book you’ve read?”</p><p>Helena laughed; it was an airy and soft sound like the summer breeze, “I’ll take the latter. While I highly respect the works of Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Twain, Wilde, Austen, and the Bronte Sisters, I will admit that I hold a softer spot for the classics. I would choose a tie between the Odyssey/the Iliad and Antigone.” She said.</p><p>Dr. Rotari seemed impressed with her choice, evidenced by the laugh of sheer delight. Agent Solstice appeared marvelously well-read, an admirable quality to have. “My, what an excellent choice. The classics were the blueprint for society, in large, to follow. Would you say you are a student of the classics and ancient world?”</p><p>“You could say that,” Helena agreed, holding back a knowing smile. Oh, how unknowingly right Dr. Rotari was about that. She did consider herself partial to the classics and the influence of the ancient world. “I have a passion for mythology and ancient civilizations too.”</p><p>“Fascinating-!” Dr. Rotari gasped, but Helena started to tune out when she watched Steve re-enter through the double doors and immediately look for her. She leaned to the side and waved her hand overhead, snagging his attention as his eyes glanced in her direction. Spotting her and Dr. Rotari safe, he briskly walked through the tables to meet them.</p><p>Helena assessed him from a distance, determining him to be unscathed. He managed to smooth down his hair and brush off his suit from the scuffle she heard pieces of through the earpiece. Up until he got closer, he looked near spotless.</p><p>That changed when Helena noticed a small streak of dirt smudged on his left cheek, blended into the shadow of his jawline. She tried not to laugh, but Steve observed her barely contained amusement over him and cocked his head, “What?”</p><p>“You have a little something,” Helena remarked, and when Steve aimlessly rubbed at his cheek to wipe it off, she shook her head. Reaching forward, her fingers cupped the sides of his face while one of her thumbs tenderly cleaned the dirt from his face. Her touch was warm, gentle and that described Helena to Steve. She smiled at him, “There we go. All clean now.”</p><p>Steve coughed softly, pulling himself back into the moment, and he felt his phone buzz. That would be their cue to depart for their car. He gestured for Helena to go first, “You and Dr. Rotari go first, and I’ll cover your six.”</p><p>“Alright, let’s get you out of here, Doctor,” Helena whispered in her regular voice, maintaining the conversation between her, Steve, and Dr. Rotari as she escorted him through the crowd. She watched ahead for any signs of danger, never considering the mission done until she and Steve were returned to the tower in New York.</p><p>Behind them, Steve vigilantly provided backup while prepared to tussle with an enemy should they show themselves. Some guests glanced their way, surprised to see people leaving so early, but Dr. Rotari’s presence shielded them from any questions. It was just like he said; he habitually left when socially acceptable.</p><p>As Steve and Helena emerged from the venue, their ride sat along the curb with the engine running. Helena directed Dr. Rotari to the front passenger seat, safe behind the armored SUV's reinforced glass. She and Steve slid into the backseat as Sharon, still driving, immediately pulled off from the curb.</p><p>“A message came in from Agent Hill while you were inside,” Sharon informed, seamlessly jumping into the steady flow of cars despite the later hour of the evening. She maneuvered through the streets illuminated under twinkling lights, the same that Paris was known for, and paid attention to the streets. “Director Fury will contact you when we arrive at the safehouse with your next instructions. Your bags were collected from the hotel room and are in the trunk. Dr. Rotari will be handed over to another agent who is permanently assigned on guard duty as the Sentinels the Captain dealt with were picked up by Interpol, and he should be safe from here on out.”</p><p>“Thank you for the update,” Steve stated, earning a respectful nod from Sharon. He turned to Helena, seeing her looking out the window but catching the smile sneaking onto her lips from her reflection. Her smile caused him to smile, realizing that they completed their first successful mission as a team.</p><p>He reached out and took her arm, gently grabbing her attention onto him. Helena shifted in her seat, glancing over to see a matching, small smile on Steve’s face. She, without prompting, reached out and laced their hands together.</p><p>“Not bad for our first time, huh?” She asked, more on the rhetorical side. Personally, she thought that they did excellently and that their partnership was to thank. She couldn’t imagine working for SHIELD with anyone else by her side, other than the man who championed for her since day one.</p><p>“Not bad at all,” Steve agreed, and the two fell into quiet as they drove through the Parisian night. “I’m proud of us.”</p><p>“I’m proud of us too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Kingmaker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sunlight beamed down on the bustling city of Washington DC, not out of character for a late spring day, and Helena adored the warm weather. She inhaled the crisp air and sighed, lounging back in her chair. A menu rested in her hands, opened to the lunch specials for the small bistro tucked into the small open-air plaza where she and Steve planned on grabbing a meal. They flew into the nation’s capital to meet with Fury at the Triskelion, summoned for an urgent talk with the Director. He seemed keen on not doing it over the phone or long-distance communication, which made Steve immediately suspicious.</p><p>On the other hand, Helena was highly anxious but optimistically hoping for nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe that was naïve of her, childish in its execution. However, she would rather believe the triumph of good over evil in the world, or else she had nothing keeping her from despair and misery.</p><p>“So, what do you want to get?” Steve’s voice interrupted Helena’s hectic thoughts, and she lifted her gaze over the top of her menu to see him sitting across from her. Helena fiddled with the fake round wire-rim glasses, studying Steve’s civilian attire with a bit of a smile. When she did Avengers outings, her face always remained hidden underneath a hood, and no members of the general public knew what she looked like. She blended in easier than Steve, whose disguise consisted of a nondescript baseball cap, a t-shirt, and dark aviators covering his eyes.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Helena mused softly, tracing the laminated page with her finger. She juggled with a few options, but her stomach revolted at the thought of eating. She needed to intake something, or else she would be in a bad mood. She set the menu down, “I might be too nervous to eat.”</p><p>“Lena, I promise the meeting won’t be that bad-” Steve assured, setting his menu down. He knew that expression Helena all too well.</p><p>“I know,” Helena sighed, peeking her face over her menu. She would figure something out in a minute, but her thoughts consumed her attention. The thought of a meeting with Fury set her on edge. The Dr. Rotari case was nearly two weeks ago, and she thought they did a stellar job at securing the doctor, leaving her with more questions than she had answers for. She fiddled with the tightness of her side ponytail, “I just get nervous easily, and Fury sounded serious when we got the call.”</p><p>Steve frowned, understanding Helena’s point of view. He knew her well; her mind raced with all the possibilities, prone to overthinking. She was brilliant, but the inverse saw her easily overwhelmed. “That’s always how Fury is. Secretive is his nature, and he doesn’t change for anyone—even those he trusts.”</p><p>“I don’t blame him,” Helena mumbled, licking her lips. She grabbed her water and drank greedily, finding the ice-cold temperature a needed shock to her system. She snapped out of her paralyzed state of mind.</p><p>Steve laced his hands together, watching her, “You know what I think? Fury probably wants to give us a new mission. He doesn’t like long-distance communication, doesn’t trust it. He’s been in the game long enough to know that getting spied on is common enough or paranoid to the possibility. Either way, we’re not in trouble if that’s what you’re worried about.” He said, lightly teasing Helena.</p><p>“No,” She denied, but Steve didn’t buy that. The quirk of his brow made her face flush embarrassedly, “I’m not!”</p><p>Her protests fell on deaf ears as Steve chuckled, looking off to the side. Helena picked up her menu again, resuming her perusal. She settled on the classic club sandwich and waffle fries, figuring she couldn’t go wrong with a time-tested classic.</p><p>“So, Fury is going to call us when he’s ready for us to meet, which could be hours from now. We operate on his schedule and not ours—” Steve chimed in again, adjusting the brim of his baseball cap. Behind the dark-tinted shades of his glasses, he vigilantly scanned their surroundings for any sight of danger. An old habit he had yet to fall out of, starting from his army days. “—So, while we wait, what do you think it is?”</p><p>Helena thought about it, racking her brain for any fantastical idea that might fit as a viable mission, before coming up empty. In the world that myths and monsters existed, she couldn’t come up with a single idea. Maybe SHIELD work felt too mundane compared to her training in grappling with manticores, killing demons, and fighting rogue minor gods, causing havoc on the mortal plane. She huffed, “I’ve got nothing.”</p><p>“No guesses?” Steve rubbed at his chin, contemplating his choices, “See, my first guess was it’s some kind of meta-human or superpowered threat that Fury needs to be handled.”</p><p>“See, that is entirely possible—” Helena hummed. That was a good theory, reasonably plausible for their purview. She knew their first mission’s purpose was to give her a low-stakes experience in the field because her Avenger status didn’t make her exempt from going through the traditional process of earning her rank. She wouldn’t get anywhere in the agency if she didn’t show her worth and work missions like her life depended on them. “—However, I doubt that is the definite reason.”</p><p>“Oh? Why’s that?” Steve leaned forward, intrigued. It seemed that Helena had a rival theory as to why they were called so suddenly for another mission. Some missions lasted for months on end, and the space between them could be months, depending. His missions were less frequent than Clint and Natasha’s because they were spies by trade and his powers were better suited to other tasks than covert missions.</p><p>“Why didn’t Fury call Natasha and Clint down with us? They’re not on a mission, which means they could help us. I find the thought of a superpowered threat being taken down by two heroes unlikely. Don’t get me wrong, you and I make an amazing team and comprise an undeniable amount of strength. But a large enough threat to call in the Avengers should warrant all of us.” Helena explained.</p><p>Steve nodded. This was true. Fury never ignored an opportunity to use the Avengers Initiative to fight threats, whether that threat constituted a world-ending scenario.</p><p>“More than likely, it would be Natasha and Clint joining the mission. Tony isn’t answering Fury’s calls and handling business for Stark Enterprises out west. Banner is laying low and generally avoiding missions whenever he can. And Thor spends more of his time in Asgard than here on Earth.” Steve agreed, highlighting that three of their teammates were essentially AWOL. Helena grimaced.</p><p>Tony did his own thing, which came as a surprise to no one. Bruce avoided the “other guy” as often as possible, and Helena sympathized with him. As for Thor, she had the pleasure to meet him a few times while stopping by the tower. He usually came to provide updates on Asgard and the security of the Tesseract, an artifact she only learned about when she learned about the Battle of New York. She slept through the battle across the ocean from New York, undisturbed by the Pantheon.</p><p>She didn’t mind Thor’s presence. He was charismatic, liked to make jovial conversation, and flirt. They were demigods in name but occupied opposite ends of the spectrum. While Thor exuded kingly energy in a domineering, in-your-face kind of way, Helena’s power adopted a more subtle, graceful approach that she tried to mask. She stayed out of people’s attention when she could avoid it.</p><p>“Hmmm, what about a missing or stolen artifact? I have a knack for hunting them down, especially magic-related items.” Helena suggested, perking up and snapping her fingers. She appeared confident that her theory could be it, and Steve had to admit it sounded logical. Helena’s Guardian training landed her on the Avengers’ and SHIELD’s radar in the first place—a metaphorical return to her roots.</p><p>“That could be it, Lena,” Steve nodded, smiling. The agreement elicited a bright smile from Helena, who appeared proud of her connection. Steve chuckled, “Whatever the mission is, whether we guessed correctly or not, are you ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death.”</p><p>He recalled asking that of Bucky decades ago in that bar, hazy with cigarette smoke and the jumping tunes of swing for the GIs dancing with a beautiful dame while still in the states. While that situation changed for the worse, he refused to let another person he cared about getting hurt on his watch.</p><p>Helena blinked like she was surprised by his question. Helena whispered, “Always. You’re the one person I can count on and that I trust with my life.”</p><p>Her admission felt shocking to Steve, even though he never gave her reason to believe otherwise. Rather, hearing that Helena unequivocally trusted him with her life filled him with confidence and his instinct to protect her. He wouldn’t fail her. He couldn’t fail her expectation of him. He made a mistake with Bucky, but Helena’s partnership acted as a chance to do it right.</p><p>Before Steve could tell Helena that she wasn’t misguided in giving him such trust, a loud bang rang out from somewhere to their left, and screams filled the air. The clang of metal sent Steve and Helena into high alert, knowing that sound anywhere: gunfire.</p><p>“Get down,” Steve barked aloud, and several people started sprinting away from the table as the rips of more gunfire rang out. The angle of the sound and the projection of the bullets signaled the shooter was overhead, implying a sniper. Steve grabbed Helena’s arm and pulled them down to the side. His other hand yanked the table down to use as a barrier between them and the gunfire.</p><p>The sudden force of Steve grabbing her sent Helena tumbling forward and landing on top of him, holding herself up on her hands against the pavement. She immediately lifted her left arm and summoned her power, casting a protective light bubble around her and Steve. No sooner than she erected the shield, another round of bullets directly fired.</p><p>The sound of the gunshots muted inside the bubble and bounced harmlessly off, easily would’ve killed Helena had she not thrown up the barrier. Her arm on the ground shook as she held herself up and expended her energy into keeping the protection.</p><p>Steve could only watch Helena above him, their faces level from the fall, and observe the sheer terror on her face. She turned ashen in the face, her cheeks losing their rosy color and her eyes devoid of their spark as they blanked in gold. Her body trembled, erratically hyperventilating. He followed her line of sight to where she stared beyond the bubble at the people taking shelter from the rain of bullets.</p><p>They, too, were terrified, but they didn’t have the powers to save them. She wanted to help them, but she couldn’t. Not while bullets came flying at her and Steve, intending to kill them. She told Steve that she trusted him with her life but implied that she would defend him with hers.</p><p>Helena counted ten bullets aimed for them before it fell silent, waiting a moment to determine whether the sniper was reloading or finished with their violent act. Helena looked at Steve, tears streaking down her cheeks, and he reached out to her.</p><p>“Lena, we should run. Keep us covered as we go.” Steve whispered, earning a wordless nod. She could do that. They needed to get out of there, or else they remained in potential danger. So, Helena dropped the light shield from them, and they popped onto their feet. As they raced for indoor shelter, Steve and Helena noticed a few people with minor injuries.</p><p>The two grabbed those people with their inhuman strength and burst into the restaurant, setting them down. Helena linked hands with Steve, ignoring that his was speckled with the blood of the civilian he assisted to safety. The two of them brushed past frantic innocents packed in the restaurant like sardines, sheltering in place until the police came, and bolted for the front door.</p><p>Bursting out to the busy sidewalk, Steve started sprinting, and he dragged Helena along. They were going to put as much distance between them and the restaurant as possible, not wanting to give the sniper a second chance at them.</p><p>While Helena did have heightened endurance in her powers, her body didn’t adapt to that skill set. So, she could run fast for prolonged periods. She wouldn’t be able to do it to the extent that Steve could because her mortal body couldn’t execute her full power. It was her greatest setback but what kept her in check, untainted by absolute god-like power.</p><p>Giving in to her powers completely would destroy her mortal coil and turn her consciousness into nothingness, creating a husk of pure power and little else.</p><p>Helena managed to keep pace with Steve for a few blocks before noticing herself starting to slow down and pull Steve back. Their breakneck pace got them out of the metro and closer to the tourist sightseeing spots, marked by the gorgeous row of blooming cherry blossom trees.</p><p>“Steve, wait,” Helena wheezed out, and Steve slowed to a stop, ending up with the two of them underneath a cherry blossom tree. He was breathing hard, a little sweaty from the heat, and running across town when he noticed Helena’s face.</p><p>She looked ready to break down, eyes watering and lip quivering. Steve barely opened her arms before she crashed into them, sobbing and shaking. Normally, Helena hated crying in public or around people she knew well. She didn’t want them to think less of her for being weak, easily emotional.</p><p>But after the hellish attempt on her and Steve’s lives, she couldn’t keep the floodgates closed from her anguish. She was probably staining his shirt with her mascara tears, turning the light grey of the tight-fitting top into spotted with black watery splotches, but Steve hardly minded. He rubbed Helena’s back with his clean hand, not wanting to smear blood on her. Her sobs echoed in his ears, stoking his anger toward whoever opened fire into a crowd of people trying to enjoy a nice afternoon meal.</p><p>When he came out of the ice, he hoped to find an America better than the one he left behind when flying into the ice. Instead, he came to a nation rife with violence and new threats intermingled with the supposed progress made toward a better society. He read up on the important news and politics first in his expedition to understand what his world had become. The others provided first-hand accounts of important events and experiences.</p><p>This incident only reminded him that things were different than he expected, hosting many challenges to envisioning a better world. And some things never changed from his time until then, a fact that saddened him.</p><p>“Talk to me,” Steve whispered to her, keeping his guard up while he let Helena cry it out. He didn’t feel sad or filled with fear so much as he was enraged that something like this happened. His mind ground the gears in trying to figure out how spectacularly bad luck put them into the path of a wild gunman. So, he could hold onto his anger while Helena split apart at the seams in her anguish. “I’m here for you, Lena.”</p><p>Helena choked back a sob and nestled her face into Steve’s shoulder, shaking her head. She didn’t have words.  </p><p>A dark SUV rolled up along the road, and the window rolled down to reveal Maria Hill in the driver’s seat. She didn’t put the car in park as she barked at them, “Get in!”</p><p>Steve and Helena bolted for the backseat, and Steve reached the door, opening it for Helena. The two quickly slid into the back and slammed the door as the car took off, not waiting for them to buckle their seatbelts. They bumped together as they slid in the backseat but quickly buckled themselves in.</p><p>In the front passenger, Fury sat there and stared ahead out the windshield. After a pause, he turned around and looked at Steve and Helena. Steve’s face was stoic, eyes darkened with a shadow of a man haunted with memories. Helena’s face looked slightly puffy, and her eyes were streaked with red, the clear signs that she was crying. Neither of them looked particularly happy but appeared uninjured.</p><p>“We were almost killed,” Steve declared, sounding downright pissed. He reached out and let Helena take his hand, not wanting her to break down again. They could process what happened when they were alone, away from Fury. He took no interest in their weakness. “There was a shooting, and the fire came immediately for us. People were injured-”</p><p>“We know,” Fury replied, holding up a dark device that Helena and Steve neither recognized. He clicked it off and appeared unmoved, “We heard about the shooting through the news and several emergency calls about gunfire. I had Agent Hill track your phones and pinpointed you’re you two were in the direct center of the shooting and fled from the scene to safety, we assumed. So, we used the tracking to find you.”</p><p>“You have trackers in our phones?” Helena questioned abruptly, not expecting that. Although maybe she should’ve. Things were not turning out like she thought they would, and the danger that she expected from being an Avenger felt like nothing compared to how close those bullets came.</p><p>Steve, who thought the same thing but didn’t ask, glared at Fury for some answers. He didn’t know the extent of the spying on their own agents from SHIELD, but he suspected this was far from the only instance. The thought of a surveillance state flashed before his eyes, and his stomach turned. This wasn’t freedom. This was fear.</p><p>Fury ignored the question, slipping the device away without so much as a word. “That’s not why I’m here. I assumed that you two would emerge from any situation unscathed and returned to the Triskelion for assistance. However, before the alert came in about the shooting, our servers registered a disturbance in the personnel systems.”</p><p>Steve furrowed his brow, wondering where the hell this was going, “Meaning?” He inquired.</p><p>“Someone tried to hack into our encrypted files and get personal information about our strike teams and prominent members of the organization,” Hill chimed in as she turned into a roundabout, taking them back toward the Triskelion. She smoothly pulled into midday traffic, keeping out of the way of the ambulance speeding toward the restaurant. Helena felt her stomach clench at the thought of those injured around them that she nearly missed when Maria said, “Yours and Helena’s included.”</p><p>“Luckily for us, the security breach didn’t extract any files or get past firewalls set up for this kind of hacking scenario. Currently, we have some of SHIELD’s best technical and hacking assets assessing the situation.” Fury assured them, expecting that his agents would uncover something about the hackers to track them down. Hacking SHIELD took some serious guts but punishable with interrogation.</p><p>At best, they might reap another asset to reform to the side of good. At worst, they’ve identified a new cyber-terrorist to lock away or eliminate.</p><p>“Any idea what they were after?” Steve questioned, leaving his jaw clenched. He could buy the idea of the hack being an isolated incident related to SHIELD as an organization, but not on the same day as a near-fatal assassination attempt. The two occurring within such a short time frame drew his scrutiny.</p><p>Helena curled her arm around his, capturing his attention. She looked at him and sighed deeply, meeting his eyes. The knowing look passed between them told Steve that perhaps Helena toyed with the same conclusion: <em>were these events connected?</em></p><p>If they were, it meant that someone wanted to unmask them or worse—they wanted them dead. They could understand their Avenger aliases getting threats on their life; some people out there were less than enthused at the idea of superhumans running amok and attracting world-ending disasters like a magnet. But not their SHIELD side, especially since Steve acted as a rare utility for SHIELD before Helena finished her training and she was a freshly graduated agent.</p><p><em>Who could possibly know about them and their new status as Strike Team Echo that would want to do them harm?</em> That information wasn’t widely available and reserved for those with proper security clearance, which raised more questions than either of them had answers for.</p><p>“No idea,” Fury curtly remarked. “But we expect updates within our return to the Triskelion.”</p><p>“What about the mission. Do you think we should go out when we don’t know the cause of the shooting? It sure seemed like we were the targets, and everyone else in the vicinity ended up collateral damage.” Helena questioned, not fully on board. Her head was reeling from the hacking revelation, and emotions frazzled from the brush of death from overhead. She needed to focus on the task at hand, but she felt like throwing up.</p><p>If she weren’t careful, she might’ve ended up with a bullet in her head and bleeding out on the pavement.</p><p>“Yes, you two are cleared to still go on the mission,” Fury declared as Maria made a sharp right turn, slightly jostling those in the backseat. Her eyes watched in the review mirror, swearing she noticed a dark van following them. It appeared that her quick thinking shook any would-be assailants off their trail. Fury appeared unperturbed by the sudden move, continuing, “The mission requires another international trip; therefore, you’ll be safely out of the borders of the continental United States. At this time, we assume the shooting you two were inadvertently involved in was a random act of domestic terror and unrelated to your presence in DC. We will be looking into it regardless and conduct a thorough investigation.”  </p><p>Helena and Steve exchanged looks, not completely sold. Although Fury assured them that they experienced a ‘wrong time and place’ moment, neither could deny the unsettled sinking feeling occupying their stomachs. Helena thought she might be overthinking, while Steve knew he should trust his gut instinct when telling him something was wrong.</p><p>Nevertheless, they needed to follow their orders from Fury. They would use this mission to get away from the states for a little, regroup, and let SHIELD investigate the incident unobstructed.</p><p>Steve cleared his throat, “So, when do we head out, and where are we going?” Fury turned back to the windshield in the front and lounged back in his seat.</p><p>“Peru. You leave tomorrow evening to uncover an 0-8-4.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Gambit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Through the front window of the quinjet, the Peruvian afternoon sun covered the vast rainforest stretched out before them. Hundreds of miles of lush green canopy, broken up by large bodies of water and rock formations spread far out, and SHIELD expected them to find the 0-8-4 out of there? Steve found the mission to be something out of his and Helena’s wheelhouse and kind of out of their way.</p><p>This seemed like a do-nothing mission meant for a science and ops team, not two Avengers. However, Director Fury assigned them the mission himself, so maybe he knew more than they did. Fury forever would be a man of secrets, ones never meant to see the light of day.</p><p>Steve sat at the back of the quinjet, staring at the wall ahead. Beside him sat Helena, hands neatly laced in her lap, and her head is hidden behind her hood. Sitting across from them was their point of contact and somewhat unexpected tag-along in Agent Kirk Marcellas. According to the file, Marcellas is a three-year agent from London, graduated from the SHIELD Ops Academy,  and recently transferred to the Artifact Collection Taskforce established after Helena briefed SHIELD on the presence of magical artifacts that might come into possession of bad-faith actors. What the file didn’t read was that Marcellas liked asking questions. Lots of them. And not all of them stuck to the expectations of professionalism.</p><p>From the moment they landed at the closest base to their destination in the Peruvian rainforest, an unlabeled SHIELD base likely of high classification, Agent Marcellas stuck to their side and gave them no room to breathe. He was full of questions about seemingly everything and yet, no mention of their mission.</p><p>“-So we should discuss the 0-8-4.” Agent Marcellas leaned back in his seat, appearing rather calm about the mission. His moods switched so fast like wild pendulum swings, making it difficult to get a read on him. It frustrated Steve, and he guessed that Helena was having a similarly difficult time, but he hadn’t spoken with her considering Agent Marcellas’ monopoly of speaking time.</p><p>“Yes, this information is important,” Helena agreed meekly, wanting to get on with the mission. Unlike Agent Marcellas, she demonstrated clear nerves. She hadn’t told Steve, but she started to feel slightly ill as they went along. She suspected it was nothing and shouldn’t bother him with her overactive imagination, ignoring the small voice whispering that she needed to trust her instincts. “But if we could keep it brief, that would be ideal.”</p><p>“Of course, <em>Agent Solstice</em>.” Agent Marcellas placed emphasis on her name, and the reaction was swift. Helena’s shoulders hunched in Steve’s peripheral vision, and that made Steve’s face harden. He glared at Agent Marcellas, keeping his face as blank as possible.</p><p>“The 0-8-4?” He reminded, punctuating each word between a questionably cold tone. Agent Marcellas looked at him, almost like he forgot Steve was there too. His face changed from lax amusement, turning serious.</p><p>“Right,” Agent Marcellas cast a suspicious glance toward the pilots, who were focusing on navigating to the coordinates of the 0-8-4. “The 0-8-4 we’re looking for has caused around seven freak deaths in the wild and reported seismic activity in the area. SHIELD technology picked up on an energy frequency of some kind, either alien or otherworldly, surrounding these attacks with a large epicenter. The working theory is that we’re looking for an artifact that possesses seismokinesis. Therefore, I suggested we call in some meta-human assistance.”</p><p>Helena hummed with a frown, “How strange. That doesn’t sound like an artifact I know of, nor like any beast capable of that. We would see more carnage if it were a beast.” She explained to Steve and Agent Marcellas.</p><p>Steve nodded, trusting Helena’s judgment on this, “It’s likely to be an alien artifact like what we saw with the Kree. I wouldn’t be surprised to encounter more objects like that. Let’s hope that the 0-8-4 doesn’t turn out to be a superpowered human or creature because adding sentience would add more problems.</p><p>“I’m sure Agent Solstice will figure that out for us. She’s the magic expert from what I’ve heard about her,” Agent Marcellas spoke like Helena wasn’t even there, eliciting a disgruntled huff underneath her breath. Agent Marcellas didn’t notice the imperceptible shift in the mood as he continued, “I supposed that makes the Captain your muscled bodyguard instead of any use.” He joked, feeling anything but light-hearted.</p><p>“You’ve said that before,” Steve remarked flatly, but Agent Marcellas ignored him pointedly. Steve could tell as much from how he avoided his eyes. He didn’t consider himself a confrontational guy. Agent Marcellas reminded him far too much of the scumbags who used to pick on him before the serum when all he had was courage that sometimes bordered on stupid to an outsider but stuck to principle in his eyes.</p><p>Saying nothing else, Agent Marcellas rose from his seat and sauntered over to speak with the pilot as to their ETA. Helena and Steve glanced at each other, finally alone since arriving in Peru.</p><p>Helena quietly scooted closer to Steve, throwing wary glances toward the cockpit and Agent Marcellas leaning over the pilot's seat, loudly conversing with them. She intentionally tuned him and his voice out, having it starting to grate on her nerves.</p><p>“I don’t say this often, but I don’t like him,” Helena whispered to Steve, not as uncomfortable as she was whenever Agent Marcellas hung around them. She tugged at her hood, resisting pushing it back from her face. She had an identity to protect, which included hiding her weaknesses from potential enemies.</p><p>“I don’t blame you,” Steve stifled a chuckle, yet his face turned serious when thinking about how Agent Marcellas clumsily ambled through each interaction with Strike Team Echo. “You have the patience of a saint, Lena. If he makes you uncomfortable and doesn't feel like you can say anything or panic, tell me. I have no issue defending a lady’s honor.”</p><p>“I appreciate that- I do need to start standing up for myself. I just panic and sometimes say nothing when I mean to say something.” Helena flexed her hand, playing with a small burst of light that she controlled with masterful adjustments in her long, slender fingers. She expected that the lighter months filled her with enough power to sustain for this trip.</p><p>Steve nodded, reaching for the shield when he noticed the change in the quinjet’s dynamic. He immediately picked up on a dip in the cabin's angle and altitude around them, glancing toward the front. “Are we landing?” He inquired.</p><p>“Yes, Captain! We’re five minutes out from the best possible signal SHIELD managed to track the signal down since they couldn’t pinpoint an exact coordinate. We’ve gotten you within ten miles, which is something.” The pilot, who hadn’t offered her name up at any point, explained.</p><p>“Thank you,” Steve nodded, turning to Helena with a smile. “Ready for some walking?”</p><p>Helena hummed, but Steve could hear the smile hidden from the world—one reserved for him alone. “There are worse things.”</p><p>“I love your optimism.” He replied, noticing as Helena stifled a giggle. They were supposed to be professional and all, but Steve and Helena's friendliness spoke volumes about their relationship to anyone who watched. They were close, they had each other’s backs, and comfortable didn’t even begin to describe the friendship that sparked between them since meeting and caught on, not unlike wildfire.</p><p>The two of them focused on each other, missed Agent Marcellas’ sneer from the cockpit. The difference in how Strike Team Echo acted when seemingly “alone” compared to when they were accompanied by someone else was unmistakable, leaving the air bitter when Agent Marcellas stormed back over and sat across from the two Avengers.</p><p>Silence reigned until the quinjet came to a gradual landing deep in the thickets of the Peruvian rainforest. When the ramp descended, Steve and Helena marched out together in their uniforms. While Steve kept his upgraded suit, Helena’s armor was exchanged for a standard SHIELD uniform with a mask covering from her nose down the rest of her face and a hooded cloak in black.</p><p>However, she pushed her hood down when activating her powers as her eyes morphed into solid gold and enough of her face hidden behind the mask to conceal her identity. Under Fury’s direction, she went to great lengths to conceal her identity for her safety as she tried to establish a life outside of superhero duties.</p><p>Agent Marcellas ambled behind them, looking disgruntled. He shielded his eyes with his hands, blocking out the sun blinding him as not to trip. He stopped a few feet behind Steve and Helena, seeing them whispering to each other.</p><p>“Agent Marcellas,” Helena called to him, half-turning to see where he went. When she spotted him, she pointed to the northeast of their direction confidently. She sensed strong magic emanating from that way, overshadowing any other source of energy in the world around them. She would wager that they would find the ruins over there, expecting a few miles of a walk. “We go that way.”</p><p>“Great, you and the Captain lead the way then.” Agent Marcellas gestured coolly to them, a perceivable mood shift. Helena uncomfortably shook her head but didn’t want to start any fights among the high tensions. She could tell Steve didn’t like Agent Marcellas, uncharacteristically annoyed and prone to snapping whenever the other agent spoke out of turn.</p><p>Not that she blamed his patience and normally respectful demeanor vanishing from the barrage of unnecessary questions or comments made by Agent Marcellas, but Helena wished for this mission to be over.</p><p>It had been a hectic few days as is, leaving her unable to deal with and process everything from the shooting in DC to their tense trek through Peru’s natural rainforest for a killer artifact. The more she seemed to put off addressing it or talking about it with someone, the more things seemed to build up until everything became overwhelming.</p><p>Helena swallowed shakily, “I’d prefer if we adopted a vertical line formation for safety. You lead us, I’ll give you guidance from the middle, and Captain Rogers covers our rear. It would play best to our strengths.” She suggested, rather kindly.</p><p>Agent Marcellas stood there, but before he could even think about protesting, he found himself under the shadow of Steve’s stern glare. He didn’t want to hear anything other than ‘Yes Agent Solstice’ from Agent Marcellas, who spent the entire ride there making Helena feel uneasy.</p><p>Agent Marcellas, as expected, said nothing and moved toward the front. He didn’t hide his annoyance with the chosen plan and started walking. Helena walked two paces behind him, and Steve trailed a pace behind her, shield off his back. He prepared for any danger while the three of them trampled through the rainforest.</p><p>After an unknown passage of time, marked with more silence between the three, Helena lightly cleared her throat and vaguely gestured to the west. She felt the pull of whatever caused the energy source to reach out to her, beckoning her closer. She recognized the ruins would be revealing themselves to her and her companions.</p><p>“Captain, Agent Marcellas,” Helena spoke up, stopping her party and getting all eyes on her. She pointed to the west, blinking ominously with those golden eyes of hers. “The aura of the magic is strong already, meaning we’re decently close.”</p><p>“How far are we?” Agent Marcellas questioned, almost like he expected her to become a human GPS or something. He couldn’t hide the impatience, which elicited a shift in Steve. He could sense tension brewing in the air.</p><p>Helena frowned underneath her mask, brows conveying her displeasure. “I’ll let you know when we get there. The trace doesn’t provide a sense of distance or time, only a measure of strength determinant on how close we are to the origin.”</p><p>“That’s unhelpful.” Agent Marcellas remarked.</p><p>“Agent Solstice will tell us whenever she can. Giving a false answer is hardly productive.” Steve interjected plainly, barely avoiding anger or sarcasm. He hardly considered himself an angry or bitter person, but even he let his worst intentions get the better of him.</p><p>Agent Marcellas scoffed but wordlessly marched westward. That left Helena and Steve no option to follow him, unable to ignore the tension in the air. Helena guided them to continue strictly west while the trace magic grew to overwhelming proportions.</p><p>As they stumbled across the mud patches and thick undergrowth of the temperate, slightly humid afternoon, Helena kept glancing back at Steve and meeting his eyes. The two weren’t entirely conversing, but they were checking in on the other.</p><p>Agent Marcellas managed to catch them during one of their exchanges and, much to his annoyance, mumbled something under his breath that sounded like an insult toward Helena. Steve sped up his pace to walk beside Helena, and he growled, “What was that, Agent?”</p><p>“I didn’t say anything.” Agent Marcellas lied, face flat but eyes involuntarily shifty. Steve narrowed his eyes, not believing that for a second. He wondered how the hell someone like Marcellas, brash and wildly unprofessional, reached such a coveted position to be practically running a taskforce. Better yet, how did he qualify for the mission as he wasn’t of the credentials needed for something of this nature.</p><p>“You know, Agent Solstice and I were wondering,” Steve pivoted after a moment, earning wide eyes and clear perplexed from Helena. She avoided saying anything, stepping back as Steve stepped forward. He studied Agent Marcellas intently, searching for a hint of fear. “How exactly did you get onto the case of this? Were you chosen by a higher-up or-?”</p><p>“Classified.” Another curt, shifty answer from Agent Marcellas. One that made less sense than it should from how he tried to be convincing.  </p><p>“Agent Solstice and I weren’t told about you from Director Fury, nor do you have a higher level of classification than us,” Steve remarked, equally as cold. In his eyes, a clear vein of distrust flared up. It seemed he and Marcellas were on the same page about something: they didn’t trust each other.</p><p>“-We’re getting close.” Helena interrupted the two of them, bickering following a soft gasp. Steve and Agent Marcellas couldn’t see what she could in the traces of magic winding through the darkened underbrush of the rainforest, and she could never fully put into words the otherworldly sensation of feeling magic as old as the universe itself existing in the same space. <strike></strike></p><p>Helena felt what she assumed were Steve’s hands on her shoulders, and when she glanced behind her, she confirmed they were. He, made of shadows in her altered vision, soothingly rubbed at her shoulders. He knew that Helena despised arguing, and she kept getting in the middle of him and Agent Marcellas when the latter crossed a line. He felt bad about subjecting her to an uncomfortable situation, but he would feel worse if he let Agent Marcellas speak to her unchecked and her feelings got trampled over.</p><p>Helena was kind, soft, but easily hurt underneath the frightening majesty of her godly powers. It scared people who didn’t understand, but words pierced her armor. She never cried, not when she thought people were looking. She never shared, despite wearing her heart on her sleeve. She swallowed down her feelings, even though sometimes Steve could read them in her eyes like an open book.</p><p>She walked through the fire knowing how easily she would catch fire and burn, and that was what Steve considered fearless.</p><p>Eventually, the three stumble through a dense layer of green and trees to find a half-sunken ruin sitting uninhabited. Helena nearly collapsed from the sudden influx of energy hitting her body, thoroughly entering the territory of overstimulation. She clenched her fists and repeatedly unclenched them, keeping herself aware.</p><p>Getting near that much raw power while in her tracking mode was like drinking three bottles of vodka and trying to walk straight.</p><p>With Agent Marcellas going in first, they departed from the grungy jungle to explore the equally grungy ruins for an artifact causing erratic, unnatural seismic activity. Helena remained in her tracking mode and blindly navigated through the shadows over her eyes, following the trace magic glittering in dark purple. But soon, the air around her grew less black and more sparkling dark purple to where it became difficult to distinguish where the magic originated from within the ruins.</p><p>Things ground to a complete halt when Helena’s directions led her, Agent Marcellas, and Steve into a hollow chamber where their footsteps echoed off the rounded walls, and a forked exit of two dark tunnels sat in front of them.</p><p>“Which way?” Agent Marcellas questioned, noticing Helena having stopped before the fork and standing painfully still. Her face hid behind the hood in the shadows, but Steve knew Helena well enough to understand that something was bothering her.</p><p>Helena stammered, “I- I don’t know.”</p><p>“What do you mean you don’t know?” Agent Marcellas stepped forward, snapping impatiently. They seemingly searched for the ruins for hours and found that the artifact depended on her being somewhat useful. His tone indicated a sudden rush to anger that immediately pushed Steve into action, unwilling to let this low-level agent bully Helena around. She was doing her best for them, and that was more than he could say for Agent Marcellas.</p><p>“Don’t raise your voice at her,” Steve intercepted him, slightly standing between Agent Marcellas and Helena. The two lock eyes, ensuing a staredown. Helena, overwhelmed by the sensations of the magic nearby, winced and clutched at her head. Steve, seeing this, broke his glare from Agent Marcellas and reached out to touch her shoulder with a reassuring hand. “Sol, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“The trace is… everywhere! My senses are muddled, unable to tell where to go with the strength overlapping and masking the true location. I don’t know whether it was done on purpose to hide the artifact from getting traced, but I’m unable to do anything about it.” She moaned sadly.</p><p>“So, you can’t tell which path we should take?” Steve ran over her words, picking out the most important parts. He got his answer when Helena shook her head.</p><p>“No,” Helena confirmed, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“No need for an apology, Sol. You got us here, which is further than SHIELD could figure out. You and I can figure this out together.” Steve’s eyes jumped over Helena’s head to see Agent Marcellas, who moved over to the right tunnel, and he wondered why Agent Marcellas even tagged along.</p><p>He seemed to invite himself onto the expedition and get more underfoot than contribute anything useful. So, he should probably watch what he said to Helena before he and Steve had a problem.</p><p>“I have an idea: let’s split up. Captain, you go to the left—” Agent Marcellas pointed at the left tunnel and stepped closer to Helena, holding his hand out for her to take. He’d offer her the chance to accept his offer before he brought her along. “—and I’ll take Agent Solstice with me.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Helena and Steve simultaneously said, unable to stop from looking at each other directly after. They didn’t coordinate that response, but their matching reactions spoke volumes. Helena wouldn’t want to go alone with Agent Marcellas unless there was no other option. Meanwhile, Steve didn’t like that suggestion in the slightest and didn’t fully understand why Marcellas set him on edge. He chalked up any aggression to mild annoyance steadily building, or maybe some jetlag was thrown in there.</p><p>Agent Marcellas clenched his jaw, stepping forward with a downright enraged scowl. He seemed fed up with Steve and Helena dictating the mission's decisions, despite them being the ones sent to handle it, and Marcellas acted as an unwanted third wheel. He reached to grab Helena’s shoulder, “I really think that you should come with me, Agent Solstice-”</p><p>Steve intercepted Agent Marcellas’ hand from touching Helena, knowing full well he didn’t need to lay a finger on her. Nor should he. Marcellas undoubtedly reminded him of the assholes from Brooklyn after all of this, “She said no.”</p><p>He felt uneasy with the idea of letting this guy go off with Helena out of his sight and where he couldn’t intervene should something happen. While Marcellas appeared more interested in conversing with Helena, he didn’t understand boundaries enough to stop talking when she didn’t respond out of discomfort. Marcellas might encounter danger with Helena and would be ill-prepared to handle fighting against magic should that happen.</p><p>“You seem comfortable talking for her, Captain. I’m starting to think you’re the one with the problem since Agent Solstice hasn’t said anything contrary to coming with me.” Agent Marcellas sneered at Steve, annoyed at being denied again.</p><p>“I can speak for myself,” Helena raised her voice, powering through the slight waver undercutting her tone. When she did that, Steve immediately stood down, and she knew that he was on her side, ready to enforce whatever she chose. “We’re wasting time by standing around, and we can’t do that. Agent Marcellas, you take a right. Captain, you take a left. I will stay here and try to better connect with the magic, find where it’s coming from. I’ll radio you two should I find anything of use to locating the artifact.” She directed him with enough confidence that Agent Marcellas walked down his chosen side of the fork and disappeared into the dark. Steve had started walking toward his side when Helena reached out and stopped him from leaving, a hand around his wrist.</p><p>Steve paused, watching her eye the tunnel and wait for Agent Marcellas to leave before looking at him. “Tell me what you want to do, Lena.” Steve could tell something was on her mind that she wanted to stay between the two of them. Natasha and Clint informed him that this dynamic wasn’t uncommon among SHIELD partnerships because the only person he could hypothetically trust outside of himself is Helena. The same applied in vice versa.</p><p>“You explore down the left. I’ll be fine here. I’m going to stay and try to get a reading,” Helena told him, knowing Steve respected her enough to not pry. “I can defend myself from any danger. If it makes you feel better, I can make an energy tether between you and me that would flare up if either of us gets into danger-”</p><p>“I want you to reserve your strength, your energy. I know how the magic takes so much out of you. Besides, it’s not you that I’m concerned about. Agent Marcellas seems unable to do anything other than provoke fights and ask too many questions. So, stay safe.”</p><p>Helena chewed on her lip, fighting the urge to voice her concerns. The entire trek deeper into the ruins filled her with unnamed, inexplainable dread swallowing her stomach into the darkness. So, she crushed Steve in a quick yet tight hug, whispering to him, “May the Pantheon watch over you where I can’t.”</p><p>She knew the hug might be frowned upon by their superiors, but Helena expressed herself through actions and not her words. Steve let her hug him, wrapping his arms around her too. However, the two dropped their arms, and Helena watched Steve disappear down the left tunnel.</p><p>He plunged without fear into the darkness. It felt all-enveloping, enhancing the peculiar senses of the world around him like the squelch of half-dried mud under his boots or the groaning of the structure around him, almost like it threatened to collapse any moment. So, he sped up his pace and ducked through the rooms until he spotted a swirl of light in the distance. He approached it, wary and curious.</p><p>He realized it to be the golden hour of sunlight starting to approach, speeding up his pace. The sooner he or Agent Marcellas found the artifact, the faster they might return home. Steve found himself thoroughly over the mission already but would see it through.</p><p>He got even closer, noticing it to be an open doorway leading to a small courtyard of cracked tile and sand-colored everything as far as the eye could see. Steve stopped himself from stepping into the courtyard when he saw several strangers.</p><p>But it was the armband wrapped around one of their biceps that caught his attention. He took one look at the rich emerald-green and a flash of a symbol, stopping him dead in his tracks. He knew what that meant—during the France mission, he searched the Sentinels on the rooftop, and one of them had the same armband in their pocket.</p><p>He would remember it anywhere as it reminded him of the Hydra symbol from decades before, forever haunting his dreams.</p><p>Steve pressed against the doorway for a minute but noticed a wall standing between him and the Sentinels. So, he squatted down and quietly moved through the door for the shelter behind the wall. He kept crouched down, letting the angle conceal him. He stayed crouched when reaching the wall, only straightening slightly as he listened into their whispered conversation.</p><p>“-We’re going bag ourselves a Captain today, boys. That and his pretty little sidekick, the witch or whatever the hell she is!” The leader, or who Steve assumed was the leader, announced with a small roar of enthusiasm. “We’re getting paid a good sum, and the boss wants proof of death, which means we should leave them somewhat recognizable. After the case with the doctor, the boss specifically said he wants these two eliminated. They weren’t supposed to be there originally, but we threatened the old man, and he squealed like a pig. The boss doesn’t want another failed attempt.”</p><p>Steve, while listening, prepared to make his move. He debated whether or not he should slip back into the ruins and collect Helena and Agent Marcellas or fight these Sentinels off. He would prefer his odds with Helena there, but that would endanger them.</p><p>He wouldn’t let anything happen to Helena.</p><p>As he went to sneak back in, his foot caught a loose tile and made an audible crunch. He stopped, heart ringing in his chest when hearing a grunt. He straightened up and saw the Sentinels looking at him, scrambling to grab their weapons and fire. They knew that Steve would be a difficult target to kill, making him enemy number one.</p><p>Gunfire broke out as Steve dove behind the wall, dodging the bullets flying at him. He pulled his shield off his back, prepared for a fight. It was him versus seven armed combatants, blocked only by a crumbling wall that could easily give way under a barrage of bullets aiming for his head.</p><p>But then fear flashed before Steve’s mind when he remembered: Helena alone in the temple, and he didn’t know how many Sentinels were crawling about the temple. She was a prime target for an ambush. So, he decided to peer over the wall and flung his shield directly at their heads.</p><p>The Sentinels hit the floor as the shield launched at them and nearly took a few of their heads clean off, pinged about the broken walls littered around the small courtyard, and ended with a return to Steve’s hand. He didn’t wait around once catching the shield and promptly ran back into the temple.</p><p>He sprinted down the path he came from, running faster than they could catch him. He gave himself an advantage, but that would hardly last long enough. They would need to scale down the steep terrain of the ruins and get far enough to call the Quinjet for emergency backup.</p><p>Sooner than he expected, he returned to Helena. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her, unharmed, sitting in the small chamber he left her. He scooped her up to her feet and tapped her amulet, breaking her connection to the spirit realm. Helena shook her head.</p><p>“Steve, back already-?”</p><p>“We need to go,” He told her, taking her hand in his, and his expression said everything. “Now.”</p><p>Wordlessly, he and Helena sprinted together out of the winding ruins. Their feet hit the floor in tandem, racing up the hallowed walls in a frantic escape. They knew what protocol called for: they would need to “scatter” and meet up at the pre-destined rendezvous coordinates with Agent Marcellas. He should know the drill, and therefore, they needed to leave so that someone returned alive.</p><p>They emerged from the ruins and raced to the cliff’s edge, having established that as an emergency pick-up point for the quinjet. While Helena watched for any signs of the Sentinels, Steve hit the emergency call button that generated an “SOS” signal between him, Helena, Agent Marcellas, and the quinjet pilot. His signal went through to Helena but registered a mechanical failure with the others.</p><p>“It’s jammed!” Steve hissed, inspiring panic in Helena. She glanced around and tried not to scream when she saw the Sentinels emerging in a semi-circle formation of about ten fighters. All wore the combat fatigues and the emerald-green armband Steve found on one of the Sentinels during the France mission.</p><p>Standing before them was Agent Marcellas with their guns trained on him and his hands behind his head. He made eye contact with Steve and Helena, face exceptionally grim and pale. Helena choked back a cry, and she reached for Steve’s hand. He didn’t even think about ignoring it and pulled down his shield, prepared for a fight.</p><p>Before either of them could demand they let Marcellas go, the guns went off. Ten guns aimed at Marcellas riddled his body with bullets, and his body soon slumped on the mossy jungle terrain. Helena stopped a second scream.</p><p>“We’ve got to get out of here.” She whispered through tears pricking her eyes, and she threw up a shield of energy between her, Steve, and the Sentinels. She used the time they needed to reload their weapons to act, outwitting them.</p><p> “How do you want to do this, Lena?” Steve inquired, glancing around to form a plan. Helena quietly whispered a prayer to the Pantheon, calling on their grace to find her worthy of more power. She and Steve needed an escape, and she could borrow some wings.</p><p>“You and I will distract the Sentinels. While they’re stunned, we take the plunge, and I’ll fly us out of here?”</p><p>“Works for me,” Steve promised, slinging his shield back onto his back.</p><p>“Ready?” Helena questioned, sounding thoroughly breathless. She raised her hand into the air, watching the bullets pinging harmlessly off the energy barrier standing between her and Steve and the firing squad.</p><p>“Ready!” Steve declared, covering his eyes with his arm as the Sentinels went to reload their firearms. Within the span of seconds, Helena dropped the energy shield and exploded a burst of light that blinded the Sentinels. They screamed, grabbing at their eyes and stumbling back from the burning sensation of Helena’s heavenly light.</p><p>Steve felt Helena tug his arm, not fighting and running with his eyes closed. She brought them to the edge, wrapped her arms around Steve tight, and the two of them flung themselves over the edge. Their stomachs dropped in the sudden freefall—adrenaline pulsing through their body. They experienced a slight nosedive but neither panicked as Helena leveled out. Steve opened one eye to see Helena’s divine wings sprawling from her back in a soft white with the shimmering of gold.</p><p>“You’ve gotten better at manifesting your wings,” Steve whispered in her ear as she soared them far from their assailants, who would be unable to catch them. She was giving them an unbeatable head start in their escape.</p><p>“I’ve been practicing,” Helena mumbled back, and she would’ve been happy to hear those words at any other time. Right then, she felt more concerned about getting them through this mission alive as she soared above the tops of trees. She dove into the canopy with enough distance and landed them by the nearest body of water.</p><p>She gently set Steve on his feet, and she watched him grumble when his device appeared to be malfunctioning in the signal to the quinjet, “Nothing? Do you think we’re trapped in the jungle?” She inquired, glancing up at the sky to see where the sun was.</p><p>The evening approached fast, leaving them with limited options. The two of them could set up and camp, trained in wilderness survival, but they wouldn’t resort to that without exhausting their options.</p><p>Steve shook his head, seeing Helena touch the ground. When her feet met the earth, her wings vanished, and the gold of her eyes faded back into their soft blue. She pulled the mask down to breathe and rub at her face.</p><p>“No. But since our devices are offline, we’re left with coordinates. I remember there’s a safe house nearby. We’re about a mile or two away, and I memorized our security code. The safe house is restricted for some of the highest levels of classification, so it’s as close as off-the-grid as we get outside of wilderness survival.”</p><p>Helena perked up when he said that “Which direction?”</p><p>“Northwest of here.” Steve glanced up at her, giving her a look that asked if the two of them could fly. He knew that her powers were likely exhausted, but they only needed a small push to get out there. He had the coordinates and checked his compass, drawing Helena’s gaze momentarily away from his eyes to the picture he had on the inside of the compass.  </p><p>Helena nodded, taking a minute to breathe. She stood before Steve, wrapping her arms around his waist tight. She envisioned her wings forming, and Steve witnessed as pieces of light glittered like refraction pieced together until her wings returned. Helena looked at Steve, standing at eye level with her since she hovered slightly above the ground.</p><p>“You’ll want to hold on tight, Captain,” Helena remarked, and Steve chuckled, holding onto her before she shot into the air.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Ghost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While soaring above the canopy, Helena would glance down at Steve protectively nestled in her arms. He trusted her completely, not afraid of falling or her accidentally dropping him. That kind of trust made her feel unstoppable, immensely flattered that he thought so highly of her capabilities. His expression remained calm, unbothered by the wind whistling in his ears from Helena's speed.</p><p>Helena slowed her pace until the two of them lost the wind rushing around them into stillness, and Steve’s eyes met hers, opening slightly. Helena remained on guard, but she had so much on her mind. Despite her quick thinking and reaction, guilt nestled into her stomach when thinking how she failed to save Agent Marcellas.</p><p>Yes, he was a jerk. Still, that was no reason to let him die a painful death and leave his body back at the ruins. The latter hurt her more than seeing such a gruesome end because of her culture and their emphasis on burial to set the soul at rest.</p><p>“What’s on your mind?” Steve questioned, seeing that look on her face. Helena’s heart on her sleeve made her emotions that much easier to decipher. When she felt upset about something, she turned visibly sullen and more withdrawn. Steve considered himself perceptive sometimes, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Helena was hurting.</p><p>“We left Agent Marcellas back at the ruins,” She whispered, trying to keep her emotions in check. A small downside to her powers was her connection to magic was swayed by her emotions, turning them more unpredictable when she felt negative emotions. That meant one of two things: her powers shut down, or they became dangerous and uncontrollable. “Even though he was an asshole to you and made me uncomfortable, we shouldn’t have left him there to die.”</p><p>Steve sighed, figuring that was what bothered her. He knew what it felt like with what happened during Loki’s invasion of the SHIELD base and killed Agent Coulson. Sacrifices and loss were unavoidable in the lives they led.</p><p>“Helena, it isn’t your fault. Neither of us could’ve saved Marcellas from getting shot, even with the quickest thinking. He probably was killed instantly, meaning us rushing to save him might’ve gotten us killed in the process. All we can do is realize these things happen.”</p><p>Helena found his words to have a consolatory effect, telling her unrealistic expectation that she was supposed to be a perfect hero to shove it. As much as it pained her to admit, there was no such thing as a perfect hero—only a good one.</p><p>She nodded, “You’ve done this gig for a while. You survived wars, seventy years of ice, an alien invasion. How do you deal with losing people?” She asked.</p><p>It was hard to miss the streak of emotions that flashed across his face, telling Helena more than it should’ve. <em>Loss never gets easier to stomach. You get better at fighting while carrying it on your shoulders, the ever-present weight threatening to drown you. </em></p><p>“You fight on. You respect their memory by continuing to achieve the goal they died for. Sometimes, when you’re close, you use them like the fire that keeps you from giving up during the darkest of days,” Steve felt Helena’s arms tighten around him, seeing weariness in the lines of her face. She didn’t like admitting when she felt tired or wanted to give up, surprisingly stubborn for her otherwise amenable personality. “It’s what I did with Bucky.”</p><p>Helena’s attention fixated on the name. <em>Bucky. She heard that name before. </em>She couldn’t help her curiosity, “Who’s Bucky?”</p><p>“Bucky was my best friend since we were knuckleheaded kids. He had enlisted before the serum, ending up as a Sergeant in the US Army. On one of the last missions, before I crashed into the Arctic, I lost him. He died, and I failed to save him, feeling that it was my fault. I still think it was my fault.” Steve explained solemnly, and Helena gave a quiet gasp.</p><p>“I’m sorry, that was inappropriate of me to pry.” She whispered apologetically, quick to fix a perceived offense. Another thing to know about Helena: she hated making her friends upset, and more than not, she imagined it where it was not. Sort another quirk under ‘eager to please and hesitant to offend.’</p><p>Steve’s hand rubbed her back soothingly, not knowing what else to tell her other than “Helena, please don’t worry about it. You didn’t pry any more than I’m used to from the others. You actually respect boundaries.”</p><p>Helena relaxed at that, clearly panicked before. As is, Helena could define high-strung. It was no surprise how she juggled civilian life with a mild-mannered personality, anxious, caring, optimistic to a fault. No one would guess in a million years that she was one of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Not that Steve found anything about her unworthy of the hero title and saw it more as a commentary on the judgmental flaws of the larger society.</p><p>He used to be the little guy they’d overlook or make fun of. Them being underdogs made their connection stronger, he thought.</p><p>Steve glanced at his compass and his digital coordinates, still giving an accurate reading of their present location while offline. He cleared his throat, “We can land down in that clearing ahead. Something tells me that the safe house is close.”</p><p>“You’ve got it!” Helena smoothly took them into a nosedive and brought them from soaring above the tops of the trees to the mossy patch of ground below. She managed to get them toward the northern edge of the clearing, perfect for where they needed to go.</p><p>She levitated them above the ground when setting back onto their feet, putting Steve down first. Once he stood firmly on the ground, Helena touched down and released the borrowed magic back into the air. Her godly form dissipated, and she nearly swooned, feeling her legs threatening to buckle from the extensive use of magic.</p><p>Even with a connection to light and the sun, she struggled with keeping her magic going for that long.</p><p>Steve reached forward and caught her before she could stumble or fall, feeling her heart beating fast. A glance into her eyes, and he could see her pupils shrunken from exhaustion. The magic used her energy as a host, sapping from her.</p><p>“C’mere.” Steve groaned, scooping Helena into his arms bridal style. Without the help from her divine connection holding the exhaustion at bay, Helena felt the full force of magic use taxing her body. She wasn’t much for talking at the moment, and therefore, wouldn’t protest either. Instead, she quietly tucked her head against his shoulder and hooked an arm around his neck.</p><p>Steve checked his compass and digital coordinates, confidently marching the two of them through a smaller patch of jungle than the one they traversed to find the ruins. Helena stayed still in his arms, taking time to observe the beauty of the jungle. She always found nature to be soothing to her heart after spending years on an island by herself—without “human” companions she should rephrase.</p><p>The jungle was lush and green, filled with plenty to catch the eye. It reminded her of Eprana yet paradoxically contrasted great enough that she couldn’t see them overlapping.</p><p>“We got a little off-track earlier, but I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn’t harbor guilt because of Marcellas. What happened back at the ruins wasn’t your or my fault, okay. The Sentinels are to blame for Marcellas’ death. He, unfortunately, got in the crossfire of a firing squad not meant for him. They were there for us.”</p><p>“Steve, what are you talking about?” Helena didn’t understand what he was saying, eyes wide. Did he find out something while they were separated?</p><p>Steve clenched his jaw, thinking about what he overheard from the Sentinels. He hated feeling duped or used, and something told him that there was more going on than he and Helena were getting told about. He did suspect Fury had some information he seemed unwilling to share with Steve and Helena, failing to realize this knowledge could be life or death. “We were the intended targets. Marcellas just got in the way, but the Sentinels were purposely harassing Dr. Rotari.”</p><p>“So, they interfered with Dr. Rotari to get to us?”</p><p>“Sort of,” Steve grimaced, trying to piece together the disjointed bits of information with what they knew, “Their initial mission seemed to be to stir up trouble for SHIELD, but messing with Dr. Rotari got us involved. Then, whoever paid them to cause issues changed the objective to take us out. We’re wanted by whoever their boss is, dead preferably.”</p><p>“This makes no sense! How did they know that we were getting on the case, let alone who we were? Aren’t strike team personnel files an added level of security clearance?” Helena saw Steve shrug, and she decided not to focus on the details she couldn’t answer for. “I just can’t wrap my head around someone caring enough to get rid of us. I know that we’re heroes, but what’s the reason.”</p><p>“There doesn’t always need to be a reason. Sometimes, people just served purposes that you and I will never understand because only they can. Plus, there are plenty of people in the world who wanted the heads of heroes mounted on their walls to prove their conquest-”</p><p>He trailed off, and Helena followed his line of sight to see the safe house. The front of the house appeared molded into a rock formation, in clear view of a gorgeous waterfall and lake. The hideaway was scenic and tucked so perfectly away from the world to make a good place for fleeing spies.</p><p>Steve made the final trek along the crudely dug path, barely sticking out of the mossy dirt squelching beneath his boots. Another reason he carried Helena: her attire was all white. He didn’t mind, especially since she hardly weighed a thing to him.</p><p>He reached the door, going to activate the unlock. Per SHEILD protocol, when a mission got botched for whatever reason, agents were expected to lay low or go completely off the grid. Laying low meant using a safe house while off the grid implied a rogue unpredictable improvision of survival skills. He and Helena would be hunkering down together in the safe house for a few days, minimum.</p><p>Crossing the threshold of the house, Helena finally let the last use of her magic melt away her armor and revealed the tank top and slimming sweatpants she wore to sleep the night before the mission. Steve reluctantly set her down, locked the door behind them, and set the security measures online. Although hidden into a rock formation, the house operated with a generator and other basic appliances for enduring through hiding out. </p><p>With them safely behind the walls of the house, all the revelations and horrors of the day bombarded Helena with emotions she’d rather not deal with. If it were up to her, she would be there for others while avoiding her problems like the plague. She could feel her hands shaking and likely the rest of her body was too, filled with tension. It rocked her to her core, turning her body into a ticking timebomb of jitters bound to erupt. She missed hearing Steve talking to her, but he didn’t miss how she lightly trembled.</p><p>Steve’s hands spun her around by her shoulders, going to grab her hands. “Helena, you’re shaking.”</p><p>“It’s nothing,” Helena changed the subject, gently easing his hands from her shoulders. He should be worrying about taking care of himself after their near-death encounter. She tried to scuttle into the kitchen, “We should get something to eat. You need to eat. I’ll make us something,”</p><p>“Helena-” The sternness from Steve threatened to crack her resolve, but she forced herself to hold it together. Steve wasn’t her emotional sponge to soak in all her emotional weakness and handle the insane events of their partnership alone. She needed to stop being so weak.</p><p>“I’m fine.” She spoke—a<em> lie.</em> Steve didn’t seem to believe her that she’s okay because dodging was her specialty. She would hide behind a smile like it was a shield.</p><p>“Fine. But I’m either going to help you cook or sit with you.” Steve insisted, making it clear he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He would stay with Helena and not let her crumble when he could be there for her.</p><p>“I will accept company, but I assure you I’m fine.” She wasn’t fine, not in the slightest. Knowing that her first real mission turned out so poorly that an agent ended up dead and that someone wanted her and Steve dead hardly sat well with her. Helena walked into the kitchen while Steve took a seat at the island countertop.</p><p>Helena peered through the cabinets for anything edible and found stacks of preserved and canned foods, along with other non-perishables with fresh expiration dates. An idea formed in her head when she saw some canned beef and beans. She rummaged and struck gold when finding canned tomato chunks that appear recently bought.</p><p>She’d make some chili.</p><p>Helena grabbed a big pot from one of the drawers, flashing Steve a sympathetic smile when overhearing his stomach growling. But she couldn’t fully immerse herself with burning questions on her mind.</p><p>“Steve, I just thought about something. Do you think that the Sentinels were behind the DC shooting?” Helena inquired, reminding him of what happened in DC. Although it felt ages ago somehow, it happened the day before.</p><p>“That’s- highly likely,” Steve admitted, finding that to be a viable theory. It would make sense how the incident appeared isolated at first glance but fit neatly into the greater timeline and the event of the attempted hacking that same day. He could hear the waver in Helena’s voice when mentioning it, guessing she hadn’t processed it fully given what happened. “How are you feeling? I know that it frightened you.”</p><p>“It did. I’m glad that we’re alive, but I keep replay the moment when I heard the gunfire go off,” Helena chewed her lip. “I feel shocked, sick to my stomach when thinking how innocents were almost hurt, and really scared. I knew the superhero life wasn’t easy, and neither was the spy lifestyle, but all of this happening at once feels overwhelming.”</p><p>“Yeah, I can imagine. I can’t say it gets easier.” Steve mentioned calmly, listening to what Helena said. He agreed with everything.</p><p>“Well, how do you feel about it?” Helena threw the question back to him, opening the cans of her ingredients with the can opener she found when scavenging through some drawers.</p><p>“Me? I’m fine, kind of used to being shot at. The close call did have me somewhat nervous, but you and I pulled through.  I’m suspicious of what Fury knows and when he found out. He has to know that the targeted behavior isn’t an accident anymore. Your theory about the DC shooting makes sense, and this is starting to frustrate me.” Steve admitted, making Helena the tiniest smidge envious of how calm he appeared.</p><p>She quietly pulled out a small spice rack and started picking spices out to season the chili. She hardly expected beans, crushed tomatoes, canned beef, and some dried peppers would taste good without some seasoning. She hummed softly under her breath when pouring the ingredients into the large bowl over the stove.</p><p>Behind her, Steve observed her working. He rubbed at his face, wondering what kind of shit he dragged Helena into. If he knew that he could’ve endangered her life when suggesting joining SHIELD to her, he never would’ve done so. She deserved better than to be afraid, barely hiding it behind a smile because she thought he would react badly or something.</p><p>He laced his hands together while Helena liberally seasoned the chili, giving it a fair stir and high enough heat. She slapped a lid onto the pot and would check on it momentarily. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun with the soft blue scrunchie she had on her wrist, something she used as a kid.</p><p>“While we were at the ruins, did anything odd happen before I grabbed you?” Steve asked, figuring this was a good time as any to get everything out and clear the air. For now, neither knew who they could trust. It was them against the world, hypothetically.</p><p>Helena paused, thinking about it. “You know what? Yeah-” She snapped her fingers, recalling what exactly happened. “Just before you arrived, I experienced a blackout. The traces of magic that filled the rooms suddenly vanished, leaving nothing behind like they never existed. I thought about going to search for a signal, but you would want me to stay put.”</p><p>“A blackout, you say? Like one minute you’re overwhelmed by magic, and the next, there’s none to be found?” Steve rephrased, hoping he understood that correctly. He was never one masterful in his comprehension of magic or high-tech science jargon, so Helena was typically helpful in breaking things down further. Better than when Tony jokingly calls him “old man” and he barely holds back the reminder that he is a senior citizen.</p><p>“Precisely.”</p><p>“Lena, you ever think that the artifact was a lure to get us to the ambush?” Steve noticed her stop short of checking the pot. In her hand, she white-knuckle gripped a wooden spoon.</p><p>“Yeah, I think we’re in some trouble.” She whispered, stirring the chili to make sure nothing burned. She was making a risky gamble by turning the heat so high for a speed cook instead of a slow cook. “All I want to know whether Fury will take this seriously this time.”</p><p>More silence followed, marking the longest period without conversation. Neither was quite sure to make of the revelation that they were being hunted with little understanding of why. But the silence would end eventually when Helena sought conversation that steered away from the horrors at hand.</p><p>“Steve, can I ask you something that might be prying?” Steve glanced up to see Helena stirring the pot of chili, her back facing him. She didn’t turn until she finished tasting the chili and set the wooden spoon into the sink, cleaning it. She abhorred double-dipping with the same spoon.</p><p>“Helena, you can always ask me. Asking questions isn’t prying.” Steve assured her, leaning forward onto the counter. He closed his eyes, letting the smell of blended spices fill the air.</p><p>“The face in your compass. I assume she’s someone from your past?” Helena quietly stirred at the simmering chili. A wry, somewhat bitterly tired laugh came through the silence following her question.</p><p>“Yeah. Peggy.”</p><p>Helena stopped, a chill running down her spine<em>. Peggy</em>. That was a name she recognized. From the bits and pieces she gathered from no one explaining to her and the odd dancing around the subject, the subject was sore for Steve and the others too. She swallowed thickly, glad Steve couldn’t see her expression. “She sounds important to you.”</p><p>Steve hesitated when hearing the tightness in Helena’s voice. He didn’t expect the conversation to take a turn into his past, but he assumed he was thinking too far into her reaction. “We were… friends, at least, but never officially dating. It’s hard to explain what I considered her when we kissed, but I crashed beneath the ice before we could- you know.”</p><p>Helena nodded, seeing the consistency of their canned food chili mix perfect for consumption. “I see.”</p><p>“But honestly, I’ve been doing more thinking, and I realized something,” Steve told her, watching her grab out two bowls from the nearby cabinet. “Peggy is what I would describe as a beautiful fantasy. Back then, I had this ideal life that I wanted so bad. It was the kind with a white picket fence in the suburbs with a gal I settled down with, married, and had kids with. The idyllic life where we could grow old together. That life seemed like everything I could want back then as a scrawny, chronically ill, disabled kid who had no direction when getting rejected from enlisting, no money for art school, and made girls curl their lip in disgust or pity. But I crashed into the ice and woke up to this modern world, one that needed a hero. So, that dream died when I crashed beneath the ice.”</p><p>Helena frowned, leaning on the counter after she slid the plate toward Steve. He needed to eat. She watched him accept the food and went to fill her bowl. She had her back toward him, letting the silence linger for a moment.</p><p>She remarked, “I don’t think that dream is dead.”</p><p>“Yeah? You think so?” Steve watched her quietly move across the kitchen, taking in silent barefoot steps. She exuded the litheness and grace of a dancer, refined and restricted. Helena was hard to explain how she told the world everything it needed to know with boundless, unchallenged optimism but still played some things closer to the vest than others.</p><p>“I do,” Helena replied, turning around with her dinner. She quietly rolled out her shoulders and neck to disjointed popping and the release of tightly wound pressure gathering in those spots. She glanced over at Steve, seeing him watch her, and she smiled, “Maybe it changed a little. But I’m sure the world is filled with women willing to settle down with Captain America. It’s up to you to find which one is worthy of that honor.”</p><p>Steve chuckled, “Worthy, huh? You sure it’s not whatever dame will put up with my reckless heroics and overriding devotion to the job?”</p><p>Helena rolled her eyes, “My version sounded better, much nicer.” She teased him, eliciting a laugh from him. After the horrors of barely escaping with their lives from the ruins, something like joy and humor felt sorely needed.</p><p>Steve quietly offered the open chair beside him, and Helena, after some consideration, slid her plate of chili across the counter. She walked from the kitchen, around the island, and accepted the seat. An undeniable smile reached Steve’s face when Helena settled into the chair, and she appeared calmer than before.</p><p>There was something about her connection to cooking that seemed to turn around a bad situation for her.</p><p>Neither knew what they would be doing for the next few days, seeing as they should be staying inside or not venturing too far from the safe house should they need to go outside. But there wouldn’t be much to do while inside the house, seeing as it was built to survive present danger. The object of a shelter in place was not dying above all else.</p><p>There was a small shelf of books that Helena identified when first entering the house, and she would consider browsing the shelves for something to read. Beyond that, she found herself at a loss. Maybe there was television? But the likelihood of that was slim to none.</p><p>She and Steve could spend time together, which wasn’t a bad thing. She worried about getting back home and figuring out how to take out the Sentinels before she or Steve got seriously injured. They seemed keen on putting her and Steve six feet under, meaning that it was her and Steve or them.</p><p>Toward the end of their silent meal, Steve licked a few stray drops of the chili from his lower lip. He devoured the plate of food, thoroughly delighted by Helena’s cooking. While she turned any meal to gold, he and the others back at the tower were likely to burn the place down by boiling water. Clint came second best when it came to cooking, but Helena had him beat by a long shot.</p><p>She apparently learned everything from her father and watching him cook in the kitchen, picking up things through quick study. It was a talent, but Helena was humble about it. Besides, Tony did all the bragging about it on her behalf since that was his talent.</p><p>Helena caught this, eyes lingering on his lips for a brief moment. She glanced away before asking, “I’ll assume you liked the chili then?”</p><p>“Helena,” Steve helpfully stacked their plates, choosing to do the dishes. Helena silently tried to block his hand, but he dodged around it. He smirked when taking their plates to the sink and turning on the hot water. “I haven’t met anyone cook as good as you did. That put you in the same league as my mother.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m- Thank you.” Helena blushed, proving Steve’s point about humility. Little did he know that she was internally freaking out that he considered her of such high status as a chef. Parents were everything, especially when one was close enough to look up to them. How Steve talked about his mother reminded Helena of her father and their relationship.</p><p>It was something that filled her with warmth and smiles, but a slight edge of undeniable sadness too.</p><p>Steve went to finish the dishes, missing how Helena admired him. After the hellish day the two survived, she noticed how Steve made equal measures to take care of her. She did it because that was her favorite thing to do. Steve did it because he cared enough about her to carry equal responsibility.</p><p>Her thoughts faded out when Steve turned off the sink. The water squeaked out and closed off quickly, pushing the silence back in. As Steve dried his hands, he glanced toward the bedroom. He could see it from the kitchen, and there appeared to be only one bed, meaning he would be coming up with somewhere for himself to sleep. There was no way he would force Helena to take the couch like an asshole.</p><p>“Lena, we have a small issue, but I’ve figured something tentative out. The safe house only has one queen-sized bed. So, you’ll take the bedroom for sleep, and I’ll be okay out on the couch.” Steve instructed, falling back into his decisive leadership style.</p><p>Helena’s jaw dropped when hearing that and realizing his solution. It wasn’t fair to exile him to the couch, and she knew that he would shoot down her offer to alternate nights or let her take the couch. There was one other option, but she turned thoroughly flushed at the mere thought of mentioning it to Steve.</p><p>He wouldn’t agree to share the bed with her, and Helena would save herself the disappointment from getting rejected and the embarrassment of asking.</p><p>So, she weakly protested, “But your back! It might get all out of alignment, and you have to take care of your body.”</p><p>Steve shook his head, not going to debate with Helena about it. He knew she was concerned about his health, which was in her nature to be overly caring. Endearingly, she radiated maternal and protective energy.</p><p>“There’s no need to worry about that. Pre-serum, I had scoliosis. I’m sure a few nights sleeping on the couch won’t hurt me. Besides, one of us should remain vigilant should something happen, and we need to fight back.” Steve headed toward the couch, taking his shield off his back. That was the end of the discussion. His decision was final.</p><p>Helena watched him walk off, feeling unable to say anything to change his mind. Steve Rogers could be as stubborn as a bull. She quietly sighed and headed toward the bedroom, hoping to find some spare clothes in there. The next few days were going to be interesting, to say the least.</p><p>Steve and Helena were hunkering down, going off the grid, and becoming ghosts to the people that hunted them. Survival was the key.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Rendezvous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Several days of hunkering down in the safe house passed so slowly, but Helena couldn’t deny that Steve with her made her feel safe. They slipped into an impromptu routine of taking shifts during the evening. Steve would take the first shift and stay awake until the early hours of the morning before he passed the baton to Helena.</p><p>She would then sit in the living room with him while sleeping on the couch, never fully looking at peace while asleep. It took Helena a day before connecting it to his past and days with the Howling Commando. He shared a few battle stories with her, never coerced. She knew that his past remained a sore spot to talk about.</p><p>One morning, during breakfast, Steve’s comms chimed repeatedly. He hesitantly checked the message. Helena waited with bated breath as Steve read it, and she couldn’t help reading from over his shoulder.</p><p>
  <em>Prepare for departure—the line of duty calls.</em>
</p><p>“Steve,” Helena warily glanced toward the door, and she felt her fingers twitch as light energy slowly trickled into her sweating palms. She needed to know whether danger waited for them outside this door and if she needed to tackle him behind the counter for cover as she rained hell. “What does that mean?”</p><p>Steve swallowed, “Grab a sheet or something from the bedroom to cover your face. Our escort out of here should be coming, hopefully with an explanation from Fury alongside it.”</p><p>Helena stilled, feeling calmer. She nodded and raced around the counter, the eggs she cooked forgotten in a rush. She hoped that Steve could clean up since he already changed back into his uniform, having discussed checking around the area for any threat. They had been there for nearly a week, which felt longer than needed.</p><p>She snatched an extra sheet from the bedroom closet and tossed it over her head. She probably looked ridiculous or like a child dressing up as a ghost for Halloween, but she had no other choice. They had uniforms, standard-issue, in the closet but nothing to conceal her face without coverage. She fashioned a small hood that kept her face out of view before ambling out of the room.</p><p>Steve waited for her by the front door, pressing his ear to it. He overheard the faint ripple of mechanical humming nearby and quietly creaked the door open. Directly outside the safehouse, a quinjet materialized before his eyes when dropping the cloaking system.</p><p>“Is it here?” Helena whispered, muffled underneath the hood. She pressed against Steve’s body when attempting to listen for the sounds, unable to hear anything over the thundering heartbeat in her ears.</p><p>Steve suspiciously observed the ramp lowering and could see faint movement in the shadows of the quinjet, looking like someone waiting for them, “Yes, but stay behind me. We don’t want to be ambushed or put in danger.”</p><p>“You think that there’s a leak within SHIELD?” Keeping her voice purposely low, Helena’s eyes darted around the room. If she weren’t paranoid enough, the idea that someone inside SHIELD wanted her and Steve dead worsened her fear. She forced herself to breathe and get a grip because her powers would short circuit if she allowed herself to panic.  </p><p>“Honestly?” Steve sighed, tugging at his cowl. He put it on before she returned as he didn’t know what to expect when they walked out that door. As a good soldier should, he prepared for the worst and hoped for a miracle. “I hope not.”</p><p>With that, Steve led the march outside. He shielded Helena with his body as they approached the landed quinjet’s ramp. His eyes studied the ramp for any signs of movement and caught a solitary figure just out of view. He didn’t see anything else lurking about the shadows until the figure stepped into the light.</p><p>It was none other than Sharon or “Agent 13,” as her official title went. Steve thought it understandable to be called that than Sharon and whatever her last name was. He didn’t think he ever caught it before then.</p><p>“Captain Rogers, Solstice,” She greeted, glancing from side to side. She noticed that their “three-man” operational team was down a man, immediately drawing a suspicious look from her. She studied Helena, who hid behind Steve, with a cool frown. “Director Fury sent me to collect you, said something about a distress signal and that you were forced to scatter. He will be in contact as soon as we get into the air.”</p><p>Steve didn’t move, having noticed her distrusting expression and how it landed squarely on Helena. His brows furrowed, hidden under the cowl, and his expression turned sour. Something wasn’t right.</p><p>His suspicion didn’t go unnoticed by either Sharon or Helena. The latter stepped out from behind Steve and rested her hand on the small of his back, poking out from underneath her sheet. She could feel Sharon’s glare from the quinjet and through the sheet. But that mattered little when she needed to get Steve and her on that plane back to headquarters.</p><p>“Steve, I think she’s telling the truth. She’s not our enemy.” She said to him, doing her best to comfort her friend. She trusted her instincts because they often fell in tune with the whisperings of Fate, the guiding force of all things. Those instincts told her that Sharon wasn’t their enemy and that they should trust enough to get on the plane.</p><p>Steve’s posture remained tense, but he gave Helena a chance. His eyes jumped between her and Sharon, staying vigilant for the worst-case scenario that a weapon came out. He vaguely knew how to fly the quinjet, but that was better than nothing. He could always ask Helena to co-pilot for the second pair of hands.</p><p>His jaw clenched, “Are you sure? You don’t think we’re walking into a trap?” He inquired, eliciting a shake of Helena’s head.</p><p>“No.” She was genuine, even with her face hidden underneath a sheet. Steve, trusting her, lowered his shield down and shifted his posture. Sharon noticed this but said nothing as Strike Team Echo boarded the quinjet. She wordlessly sat down in the cockpit, tossing another suspicious glare at Helena before taking off.</p><p>The quinjet smoothly ascended above the trees, making quick assent. Tension filled the body of the jet, causing the room to feel small and suffocating. Sharon gave Steve and Helena privacy, but her judgment could be felt without any looks.</p><p>Helena sensed that it was for her more than Steve, and that got to her. The last week or so had been nothing but hellish experiences and near-death encounters. She nearly got shot three or so times, went on the run with Steve while on a mission, and sat with the information that an international crime syndicate wanted her dead. Apparently, Fate decided that she would find herself in the thick of the action as a new SHIELD agent.</p><p>Oh, the irony.</p><p>Steve sighed, sitting down in the open seat beside Helena. There were rows of other spots available, but he chose to be next to her. She was the one thing he knew he could count on at the moment. Not even Fury had his trust and, reasonably speaking, he shouldn’t at all with everything that Steve went through after the Battle of New York.</p><p>He was still adjusting to a world he didn’t recognize and one he was supposed to fight for. But he didn’t want to fight for a world ruled by fear.</p><p>Helena, attuned to his discomfort, wordlessly reached out and grabbed his hand. She stroked across his knuckles with her thumb in a soothing gesture, feeling some tension abate. The move relaxed her too, so she couldn’t stop herself from holding his hand for a second or two longer before letting go.</p><p>She fixed the framing of the sheet around her face, finding it slightly difficult to breathe with the fabric pressing against her face and covering as much skin as humanly possible. So, she forced her breaths to be calm and slow, keeping her from panicking.</p><p>She wondered what Fury had to say, especially given their near-death encounters and the sudden hostility from Sharon. Something was definitely wrong, and the mission gone awry at the ruins likely was another piece in a much larger puzzle.</p><p>So, she and Steve waited. Time clearly passed from the sun's position in the sky from the late morning to the middle afternoon, but the exact time wasn’t clear. She did drift in and out of sleep, still zapped from overuse of magic. Steve covered her.</p><p>He would stay vigilant and let Helena’s head rest against his shoulder, her breathing evened out. He vaguely recalled her mentioning that sleep could bridge her into a deeper connection with her gods—the Pantheon—and he hoped they could give some clue as to what was going on. He didn’t fully understand all their powers and how (or if) they co-existed with other religions, but he trusted that Helena’s faith was important to her.</p><p>With Helena drifting between consciousness, he watched Sharon in the cockpit. She did look toward them on occasion but mainly kept her eyes focused forward. He, on Helena’s advice, reconsidered his distrust. That could change at a given notice, but he was prepared to be proven wrong before continuing to assume the worst.</p><p>Eventually, their wait for any news ended when Sharon’s voice floated from the cockpit, waking Helena up. It was getting dark outside, showing that they had been in the air for hours. She said, “Director Fury is on the line.”</p><p>She flipped the switch as Steve and Helena got out of their chairs, and a holographic image of Fury, eyepatch and trench coat, materialized in the middle of the cargo bay. He glanced between Steve and Helena, still hiding under her makeshift cloak, with mild confusion.</p><p><em>“Strike Team Echo,”</em> He rested his arms behind his back, appearing as calm as ever. His good eye alternated between Helena’s unseen face and Steve’s hardened expression. He guessed that Agent 13 managed to convince them to come in peacefully. <em>“It seems you received my message and emergency authorized transport.”  </em></p><p>Helena nodded, “We did, Director.” Her voice muffled inside the sheet, masking her anxiety at his call. She rocked on her heels to calm herself down.</p><p>“I’m guessing you know our mission went south-” Steve interjected, cutting to the chase. He didn’t want another run-around from Fury, who knew what was going on. He and Helena deserved some answers because they kept taking shots in the dark and running into people who wanted to kill them.</p><p><em>“-That’s one way to put it,”</em> Fury’s tone set off warning sirens. That hardly boded well. <em> “I heard that the mission went south, as did everyone else. We have a problem, Strike Team Echo.”</em></p><p>Steve’s brows knit in confusion. What did he mean by that? “And that is?”</p><p><em>“We have an infiltration problem, and that someone has it out for Agent Solstice’s induction into SHIELD. I say this because a video with an unknown source spread around SHIELD networks of your mission only doctored to make it look like she lost control and killed Agent Marcellas before the two of you went AWOL.”</em> That plunged the cargo bay into a tense silence, so much that even Sharon in the cockpit shifted. Helena’s stomach promptly dropped through the floor, and she thought she might retch on an empty stomach.</p><p>She gasped, “But I didn’t- I would never!”</p><p><em>“Solstice, I believe you. Several technicians were quick to debunk the video as falsified and misinformation. However, it has sown some unrest among agents about your powers and whether we can ‘control’ you,”</em> Fury assured. <em>“Clearly, someone wants SHIELD to see Agent Solstice as a threat, one that we need to put down.” </em></p><p>At that, Helena felt ready to start hyperventilating. She was supposed to maintain a level-head about these things, but spiraling went out of her control when she realized she was putting Steve in danger because of her.</p><p>“That’s not going to happen,” Steve interrupted, and while Helena appeared on the verge of frantically panicking or tears, he was immersed in anger. He refused to let Helena go anywhere when he could help it. “What do we know about them, and is there a connection to the Sentinels. They were the ones who ambushed us at the ruins. It was a trap.”</p><p>
  <em>“Agent Hill and I are searching for more information. We had an open investigation into the Sentinels ongoing when this went down, so we continued to do some digging. No idea who a mole would be as we’re still combing through the ranks. That’ll take time. However, we did find some interesting information.” </em>
</p><p>“Such as?” Helena spoke through shaky breaths, feeling her head spinning. She tried to imagine if she upset anyone during her training or who might reasonably want her gone. She wasn’t fully sold on the idea that she was the sole target. The attack felt equally pointed at Steve too.</p><p><em>“Agent Hill managed to track down a Sentinel base of operations in the middle of Texas. Agent 13 is flying you there now,”</em> Fury informed, knowing that Sharon was probably listening. He read her file too: resourceful, intelligent, and a solid agent—living up to her famed predecessor in the long line of Carter-Souza lineage. When she shifted in her chair, he knew he was right. <em>“Turns out our previous intel was a cover and not the full story. The Sentinels started in Italy but decades earlier during World War II. It was an off-shoot, sister organization to the early founding of Hydra.” </em></p><p>“Hydra? Like the Nazi organization?” Helena stammered, feeling her face lose all color. She diligently read up through SHIELD files whenever she got the chance to understand what she missed, and she learned about her teammates on the low. She learned about Hydra when combing through Steve’s files, and she had been unable to finish reading.</p><p>“One and the same. I fought Red Skull, one of their prominent figures, before I crashed under the ice. I’d hoped Hydra was dismantled after the war was lost, but the Sentinels could’ve survived. I have to wonder they were involved in Hydra’s quest for the serum-” Steve looked at Fury, whose stance told him he knew the answer already.</p><p><em>“While Hydra wanted to create the perfect super soldier and other experiments to transcend humanity, the Sentinels were formed to put down enemy combatants with powers and abilities. They are the meta-human hunters.” </em>Fury explained, worsening Helena’s anxiety.</p><p>Steve’s jaw clenched. That was less than ideal to find out as they headed inside. He and Helena had targets smeared across their back. “Great. So, why are we flying into their base? I assume you have a plan?”</p><p>
  <em>“A task for you and another Agent. This base allegedly has important data and files that I need you to smuggle out. This is a standard recon mission. Romanoff will join you to handle the transfer. Agent Barton is on a solo mission in London, too deep undercover to come. I assume the three of you can handle it?” </em>
</p><p>No hesitation from either Steve or Helena. Natasha was one of them and somehow the most trustworthy spy beside Clint to them. Not even Fury had their trust like Natasha and Clint did.</p><p>“We can do it, Director,” Helena declared. She put aside her worries until after the mission, needing to be prepared for the worst. She could only do that when she chose calm. “Captain Rogers and I can provide cover for Agent Romanoff while she transfers the files.”</p><p><em>“The mission is for building our database against the Sentinels. However, I urge you to be cautious when there. If there’s a chance you can shake out some intel on why you and Captain Rogers have caught their attention, proceed carefully and don’t endanger the mission.”</em> Fury instructed, giving a warning glance to Steve. He knew that he would follow a mission directive, but that look in Steve’s eye told him he was angry.</p><p>Steve Rogers didn’t get angry about many things. It compromised him too easy to let anger get the better of him.</p><p>“Got it,” Steve took the warning. He did think about what kind of information would explain why he and Helena were targeted, but his mind stuck with Hydra and the Sentinel connection. To him, he wondered how the agency went unnoticed for so long, especially by SHIELD. That would explain why they wanted him dead, and he guessed that the history of hunting powered people would explain their hatred of Helena.</p><p>What didn’t make sense was them knowing she was his partner with how quickly these incidents started happening afterward. That’s where he suspected SHIELD had an inside man feeding information to the Sentinels. What else would explain it?</p><p>It was Fury’s voice that yanked him out of his thoughts, <em>“-I expect you three to avoid getting caught. No reckless stunts because we won’t get so lucky to avoid someone getting hurt, or worse.” </em></p><p>“Yes, Director,” Helena bowed her head respectfully, still used to doing it with relevant authority figures. She felt prepared to go to war as her warrior instincts returned to her when she forced her anxiety down. They had no place there. “I promise that I will protect Agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers with my life. I’m partly responsible for this mess, and it means I need to fix it.”</p><p>“Sol-” Steve protested, but his attention jumped behind her. Sharon signaled to them from the cockpit that they were entering Sentinel territory, meaning it was time to jump. Although it pained Steve to leave it like that, they would pick up the discussion once they finished the mission. “Agent 13 says we’ve entered Sentinel air space.”</p><p><em>“Understood,”</em> Fury’s hologram wavered out slightly, possibly due to a disruption or interference technology. He gave a sigh, prepared to figure out exactly the angle was. <em>“The two of you and Agent Romanoff are to transfer the files and get out. No deviations from the plan.”</em></p><p>Without time for Helena or Steve to respond, the transmission ended, and the back of the quinjet opened up. Steve glanced at Helena, who removed the sheet and showed her changed into her battle armor. She harmlessly tossed the sheet into the empty chair she sat in during the flight to Texas and grabbed Steve’s hand.</p><p>“Let’s go, Captain,” They walked to the edge of the ramp, hearing the whistling wind of the Texas evening. All she could see was cracked dirt and sparse greenery, but there would be a base down there somewhere. Once getting the green light to jump from Sharon, Helena dove off the ramp first, and Steve went right behind her. No parachute needed as Helena quickly grabbed his hands and flared out her wings, formed through extended grace.</p><p>She was rationing magic, so she made the landing as smooth and soon as she could. They got within three hundred feet of the base, hiding from view behind a small rock formation. When they rounded the corner, they saw a familiar figure clad in all black and checking her gun.</p><p>“Hey guys,” Natasha greeted, not even looking up to know they made it. She got a direct communication that they would be landing a few minutes ago. “How was Peru?”</p><p>Although she made a light jab, she offered Helena a sympathetic when finally glancing up. She heard about the mission and that Agent Marcellas was gunned down. She saw the footage when restored as she had high enough clearance. Even without the footage, she knew Helena wasn’t capable of killing someone in cold blood. If she ever resorted to that, there was a reason.</p><p>Steve looked her up and down, taking in her standard battle gear. Looks like they were ready for a battle, not unlike back in New York. “You have the flash drive?”</p><p>Natasha patted her side, presumably where she stashed the flash drive. She would keep it tucked away for safety. “Yep.”</p><p>“Good,” Steve cleared his throat, peeking around the rock to the barb wire fencing and guarded gate standing before tall walls around the facility. “Now, we need to figure out how to get inside. Fighting our way in looks difficult, but no impossible. I don’t know how far we need to be before reaching the control room.”</p><p>While Helena poked her head around the corner and took in the building, Steve and Natasha jumped on going over the floorplans Natasha got to study on the way. “We’re on the south side of the building, and the control room is in the heart of the building. Our pickup coordinates would be on the east side of the building.”</p><p>“I know this is a risk to be expending so much magic, but I think I know of a spell that can get us into the building and past the guards for a little while.” Helena did ignore the tiny detail that she ran the risk of inducing severe nausea and other symptoms of illness should the spell not take. It wasn’t important when they were looking at a successful mission.</p><p>“What kind of spell?” Natasha asked.</p><p>“Invisibility.” That certainly got Natasha and Steve’s attention. Their heads snapped and looked at Helena, but they couldn’t see much of her face behind her hood. Only her glowing eyes stood out from the darkness and gave away nothing, contradicting the sheepish squeak of her voice.</p><p>Natasha waved her arms incredulously, “And you never tried it in training?”</p><p>“That would be cheating.” Helena protested with a frown, eliciting a sigh from Natasha. Helena committed to the idea of playing in an equal fight with humans by avoiding using her powers whenever she could. But that same hesitation bit her in the ass when she should be giving a fight everything she could, holding off to not hurt a human. Sometimes, the humans needed to be kicked around.</p><p>“Survival. You use every tool at your disposal to survive in our line of work,” Natasha corrected, remembering years of training from the Red Room screaming at a line like that. Even if it were cheating, the difference between life and death didn’t care that you played by the rules. Death never discriminated. “What says you, Cap?”</p><p>Steve set his hands on his hips, calculating the variable of invisibility. Say Helena could get them inside the building with an invisibility spell. All she would need to do is use it to get them into the control room and sneak them out, making an effective in and out strategy. It was worth the shot.</p><p>“Sol, do you think you can get it on all three of us?” He questioned. Much to his relief, she nodded. That made the mission easier.</p><p>“I should be able to. You’ll just have to hold onto my hands and be comfortable with running.” Helena quietly sank down onto her knee with the amulet in hand. She closed her eyes to concentrate better and tap into the quiet desert night around them. The moon was low in the sky, barely starting Alin’s journey. She would be appealing to Alin’s touch of moonlight and Otos’ sense of trickery to craft an illusion spell. Invisibility fell under the illusion umbrella of magic, and she thanked the Gods that she remembered that from training.</p><p>
  <em>Pantheon, I humbly request your assistance. Bless me with your favor and the deception cloaked in the moonlight to get my companions and me to safety. </em>
</p><p>Steve and Natasha observed as Helena’s body started to shimmer and warp like a mirage in the desert heat. Her eyes snapped open, and she offered a hand to each of them. Her fingers laced with Natasha’s left and Steve’s right hand, starting the cloak. Before their eyes, they disappeared from sight.</p><p>“Woah,” Steve whistled, and he glanced to his right, assuming Natasha and Helena were still there. “Nice work, Sol.”</p><p>“Thank you. Let’s get going because I can only manage this spell for so long.” Helena’s strained reply came not long after. Natasha squeezed her hand, and although Helena couldn’t see, she was impressed.</p><p>“I have an idea. I’ll lead the way like in a chain since I memorized the layout of the building. Sol stays in the middle, and Cap brings up the rear. Sound like a plan?” She explained, getting affirming hums. She wasn’t calling the shots because it was Steve and Helena’s mission, but the teamwork dynamic couldn’t be stopped.</p><p>“Copy. Let’s move.” Together, the three managed to file into a straight line with the designated order and march toward the gates. They walked confidently and with a fast pace, not wanting Helena to lose control over her magic. Their timing couldn’t be better as a guard rotation was taking place, and they jumped through the barbed wire gate behind the two guards finishing their shift.</p><p>No one was ever the wiser. Not even when Natasha stole one of their badges from their belt without them noticing, demonstrating the valuable skill of pickpocketing. Helena still watched her work in awe sometimes with how effortless the spy life came to Natasha.</p><p>Their luck continued when they slipped through another open door and walked through a hangar of jets and other technology with Sentinels milling about. Their numbers seemed smaller than Steve expected, falling around the hundred range, but he still gripped his shield tighter.</p><p>He didn’t like the sight of this.</p><p>With everything he saw, he made a mental note of it to report back. Unbeknownst to him, Helena did the same. Only Natasha focused on navigating them through the base with her knowledge of the route they needed to take. She still had the keycard on hand, and that came in handy when clearing the last corner.</p><p>Natasha waited for the hallway to empty, checked the control room, and swiped the card when she confirmed it cleared. The three stumbled inside, and Helena let go, dissolving the invisibility. She swayed slightly and leaned against one of the file cabinets.</p><p>“You okay, Sol?” Steve zeroed in on her wiping her forehead inside the hood and how she braced her back against something solid. Natasha hesitated but went to start hacking into the files and downloading them for SHIELD transfer.</p><p>“Fine,” Helena promised, giving him a weak thumbs up. She pushed off the side of the file cabinet when she knew she could comfortably stand. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be back in Eprana and have access to one of those mana regeneration potions. “Hybrid spells drain me faster, and I’m glad we got in with minimal fuss.”</p><p>The sound of keys clicking stopped, and the mainframe chirped positively, showing the files downloading. Natasha grinned, “We’re in.”</p><p>“How long will it take?” Steve inquired, keeping his eye on the door. He didn’t plan on letting his guard down soon.</p><p>Natasha shot him a withering glare, “These things take time and patience, Cap.”</p><p>“Time isn’t something we have much of-” He replied, but Helena gave a sigh to stop an argument from breaking out. She was a peacekeeper for the group and better at it than poor Bruce was. No one wanted to make her upset because an upset Helena would break into tears, and the others would get on your case for making Helena cry. Tony found out the hard way when he and Steve got into a spat about something inconsequential, and Helena was already having a bad day.</p><p>“She’s trying her best. We’ll be out of here soon enough and closer to figuring out what’s happening.” She promised, even though she should be the one getting comforted. Steve and Natasha relaxed, and all reverted back into calm. Well, as calm as things could be, considering they were in the middle of a heist essentially.</p><p>Steve noticed Helena walk and stand by his side, fiddling with forming her sword in hand and dissolving it. From under the hood, her golden eyes jumped out of the shadows, and he got much better at holding eye contact.</p><p>It unnerved him at first that she was a demigoddess. All that power condensed into a single person, and she seemed to radiate slightly more power than Thor since she could gain extra power through prayer would make anyone nervous. However, any fear quickly subsided because it was Helena.</p><p>She was sweet and cheerful. She liked baking, squealed at the sight of puppies, and floated through life like a ball of sunshine. She could also bench press a bus if she wanted to, had thousands of years of sword fighting training locked into her brain, and could cause a solar eclipse when angry. It made for a fascinating duality of who Helena was.</p><p>“I kind of wish we were back in the cabin.” He told her, finding a small laugh escape her. She chewed on her lip to keep from giving them away, but the thought made her happy. As crazy as it sounded, hiding away in a safe house with Steve wasn’t the worst experience of her life.</p><p>All things considered, that was the best part of her SHIELD career.</p><p>Helena swore she overheard a pointed cough from Natasha and caught a wiggling brow from her friend, turning her face red. Thank the Gods for her hood covering her face. “Oh yeah? What do you miss? Was it the endless rounds of Go Fish we played when we finally found cards or when I nearly fell asleep in my dinner?”</p><p>“You two sound like Barton and me,” Natasha mentioned, thoroughly amused. She had been harping on Steve about the last time he went on a date the other week, so this didn’t go unnoticed by her. Steve and Helena had always drawn some eyebrows.</p><p>Steve rolled his eyes, “Funny, Romanoff. Real funny.”</p><p>“Which one of us is Clint, do you think? I feel like it would be me.” On the other hand, Helena found it hilarious. Their humor didn’t last for long as the door, hidden by the stack of machinery, opened with a mechanical whoosh. Steve and Helena immediately primed to fight.</p><p>So, when a lone officer, appearing high-ranking from the uniform, walked into the room, he had no chance to react before Steve’s fist connected with his face. Helena held back because Steve seemed to have him and ended up pinning him to the wall with an elbow pressed into his throat.</p><p>“I know you,” Steve hissed, examining the face before him. The guy was a SHIELD tech that he used to see around the Washington branch when he was undergoing his training. He remembered him for his habit of sticking to himself until he vanished one day, with no idea of where he went.</p><p>But Steve knew now. This was a problem. If ex-SHIELD agents were occupying the ranks of the Sentinels, there were likely more former leaks and maybe even current ones. The breach went deeper than they thought.</p><p>The officer scoffed, and his eyes jumped between the three, “Look who it is. Captain America, the Black Widow, and Solstice here to save the day. Don’t you understand that the world is better off than it is with people like you around, especially the freaky magician lady?” His disdain for Helena specifically made the room uncomfortable.</p><p>Steve growled, “Watch how you speak to her.”</p><p>“Strike a nerve, Captain?” He coughed when Steve’s arm pressed harder into his throat as a warning. Helena averted her eyes and watched the door for any additional officers or technicians. “All you’re doing is becoming bodyguards for the rich. You don’t help the little man. You only get in the way, and you always have.”</p><p>Helena cleared her throat, “I’d suggest you start telling us about the Sentinels and why they’re insistent on continuing Hydra’s mission.” Her warning was clear because she was going to be much nicer about it than Steve was.</p><p>“Oh, you don’t know a single thing, do you? The Sentinels don’t care what Hydra wants. They want a dictator rule while we desire unregulated anarchy. But we can appreciate how a common enemy in SHIELD and you pesky Avengers brings us together-”</p><p>Steve’s body tensed when he realized something important about what his captive was saying. He was speaking in the present tense. If the Sentinels were looking to continue Hydra’s mission in its stead, he would be referring to past tense. Unless it was a slip of the tongue, but too many to call mere coincidence.</p><p>Before Steve could question him further, the intercom overhead crackled to life, and the three Avengers stilled when hearing a raspy voice laugh, “Hello Avengers. Thank you for surrendering yourself right to us.”</p><p>
  <em>Another trap. </em>
</p><p>Steve let go of the officer, hearing him laugh. That laugh died quickly when he knocked him out, leaving him a groaning and nearly unconscious slump on the floor. He glanced at Natasha, who resumed collecting the information and was about nearly three-fourths done. “Nat, we need to go.”</p><p>“I’m almost there-” She typed faster, which made Helena nervously swallow. She held her sword between them and the door, expecting armed guards to barrel through, and she would need to slice them down. Spending more time among humans made her less willing to harm them, even when they wanted to hurt her.</p><p>She could use the woman she used to be back for the mission.</p><p>“We don’t have time!” Steve replied, and Natasha reluctantly stopped the scan. She safely ejected the flash drive with what files she managed to transfer and raced with the others, not happy about the interruption. But she knew the whole base would be on them, and they could be quickly overwhelmed unless Helena wanted to let go and wipe the base off the map.</p><p>Helena’s heart jumped into her throat as she shoved the door open with her shoulder, swinging her sword in a wide arc through the air. No one waited for them outside, and they would make sure it stayed that way.</p><p>They spilled out into the corridor, racing toward the east wing of the building. Their rendezvous plans required them to hop the wall and meet up with the quinjet outside the perimeters, Sharon piloting and awaiting their command. Helena would be flying them over the wall, and hopefully, Natasha wouldn’t need to be providing retaliatory fire.</p><p>“Hurry!” Helena gasped when hearing the ringing alarm growing louder overhead. The entire base could be after them, and they needed to execute their next moves with little room for error. She worried about finding themselves backed into a corner, wondering if she had what it took to call on some extra power.</p><p>For all her shyness, she knew what kind of power she could summon when playing her cards right. It came from a reluctance to hurt people, even “bad” ones, with her unimaginable strength. Guilt would eat her alive.</p><p>They manage to break into the open air of the east wing exit, landing themselves between the building and the concrete wall standing in their way. Helena prepared to grab Steve and Natasha’s arms to take flight, but sudden yelling and the storming of boots threw her off.</p><p>A swarm of armed guards, some with Sentinel bands attached to their arms, came and rushed at the trio. Steve pulled Helena to his side and slightly behind his shield while Natasha readied her pistols to fire. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Helena’s eyes screwed shut in fear and desperately praying for some assistance.</p><p>“Hands where I can see them!” Several guards barked, weapons raised and prepared to fire, but Strike Team Echo and Natasha exchanged secret glances. There was no way they’d surrender willingly to these assholes, knowing full well they would die.</p><p>Standing back-to-back, no angle was left uncovered, and the three were examining their options for getting out of there silently. But make no mistake, they were silently communicating how only a seasoned team could.</p><p>Steve glared at the masked and maskless faces staring at him. He didn’t fear a confrontation, only knowing the anger running through his veins. He never took his eyes of the threat but could feel a palpable change in the air that came from Helena. He learned how to sense her magic months ago.</p><p>There was nothing quite like it, hard to describe and harder to explain. Some of the soldiers sensed it too, and their unease became apparent with echoes of shuffling feet and awkward murmurs. Some even physically angled away from Helena, which Steve nearly smirked at. Helena’s powers were no joke, and their enemies should learn that quickly.</p><p>Natasha leaned backward, eyes focused on her targets with her guns raised. She could see dozens of enemy combatants with weapons, not taking anything nonchalantly despite her eerily calm demeanor, “You think they know what we have?”</p><p>“I doubt it,” Steve replied, gripping his shield tighter. “They’re more concerned with the three Avengers in their way.”</p><p>“Do we have a plan?” Helena questioned, swallowing any panic in her voice. She opened her eyes, and power raced up her arms, putting on a pretty light show. She was ready to fight because she refused to let either of her friends get hurt or captured. They would find a way out and live to die another day.</p><p>“Yeah, we fight.”</p>
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